4 min read<\/p>\n
NASA Project Manager Helps Makes Impact in Southeast Asia with SERVIR<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/8e18c06e-bd99-4b1b-afe5-edbe70f30273-1-105-c.jpeg?w=1022\")
<\/figure>\nTony Kim in South Korea\u2019s Songdo Central Park standing in front of the statue \u201cCruising Together\u201d created by Han Jeong-ho. <\/div>\nTony Kim<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBy Celine Smith<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAs the seedlings were placed in the water, I felt a moment of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu,\u201d said NASA scientist Tony Kim. \u201cI was taken back to when I was a child playing in similar fields in South Korea. It felt like I was meant to be there bringing space to village with satellite data.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he looked at rice fields while visiting Bhutan in September 2023, Kim savored the chance to do something meaningful across Southeast Asia and also in his native country. Having seen his childhood home turn from rice fields to a city, Kim knows the importance of sustainably using the land.<\/p>\n
In Bhutan, Kim and research partners are identifying rice paddies, estimating crop production, predicting shortages, and gauging the health of each harvest. He represents NASA as an international project manager for SERVIR<\/a>, a partnership between NASA and USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development). It is a flagship program for Earth Action in NASA\u2019s Earth Sciences Division, created in 2005 and rooted at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.<\/p>\nSERVIR \u2013 which means \u201cto serve\u201d in Spanish \u2013 aids more than 50 nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America in their efforts to address issues like food and water security, droughts, and the negative effects of climate change. SERVIR assists regional, national, and local institutions by using NASA satellite data, models, and products to manage resources sustainably.<\/p>\n
NASA and USAID launched its SERVIR Mekong hub in 2015 at the ADPC <\/em>(Asian<\/em> Disaster Preparedness Center) in Bangkok, Thailand. The hub has been renamed SERVIR Southeast Asia as of this year<\/a>.\u00a0 Other SERVIR hubs are in the Himalayas, West Africa, and the Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bhutan-group-1.jpeg?w=2048\")
<\/figure>\n Kim, back row fifth from the right, pictured with other attendees during the 2023 PEER (Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research) Bhutan Symposium where Bhutanese scientists funded by USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development). present their research. Kim\u2019s presentation was, \u201cAdvancing STEM in Bhutan through Increased Earth Observation Capacity.\u201d <\/div>\nRoyal Society for Protection of Nature Bhutan<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIn addition to Bhutan, Kim also traveled back home to Seoul, South Korea \u2013 nearly 20 years since his last visit \u2013 to represent SERVIR Southeast Asia. \u201cWhen I went back to Korea, I felt like a kid going back in time,\u201d Kim said.<\/p>\n
The USAID RDMA (Regional Development Mission for Asia), which funds SERVIR Southeast Asia requested Kim\u2019s presence for a meeting with Korean leaders. He discussed the value of NASA satellite data for environmental decision-making with the Korean Ministry of Environment and USAID RDMA, as well as opportunities for collaboration to solve water issues in the Indo-Pacific region and natural resource management in the Lower Mekong sub-region.<\/p>\n
\u201cKorea recovered from war in the 1950\u2019s and developed very quickly as a powerhouse for technology products. Now Korea is helping other developing countries in Asia,\u201d Kim said. \u201cI am so proud of my home country and my adopted country (through NASA) helping people around the world to use satellite data in productive ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kim was eight years old in 1974 when his family moved from the southern edge of Seoul to the suburbs of Chicago. \u201cOur parents immigrated to the United States to give us the opportunity to better ourselves through education,\u201d he said. After high school, he went to the University of Illinois, where he pursued a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. After graduation, he joined Marshall as a propulsion engineer, testing cryogenic fluid management techniques for advanced rocket propulsion systems.<\/p>\n
From there, Kim\u2019s 33-year NASA journey led him through a variety of roles. He served in 1992 as an operations controller for two Spacelab missions. In 1996, he led an operation team for the International Space Station Furnace Facility. From 1998-2001, he was a payload operations manager for space station science payloads.<\/p>\n
Marshall selected Kim to study at Auburn University in 1997, where he earned his master\u2019s degree in material science. Afterwards, Kim attended the International Space University. Then, he led the ALTUS Cumulus Electrification Study, where an uninhabited aerial vehicle was used to study lightning during a thunderstorm.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"Tony](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/img-00471.jpeg?w=1170\")
<\/figure>\nTony Kim, SERVIR Science Coordination Office (SCO) Project Manager, International Flagship Program for Earth Action. <\/div>\nNASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nKim was selected in 2003 for the NASA Administrator\u2019s Fellowship Program to teach a design engineering course at Texas A&M in Kingsville for one year. He spent the next year at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Kim returned to Marshall as a deep throttling rocket engine technology manager and then deputy manager for advanced nuclear thermal propulsion technology development.<\/p>\n
In 2016, Kim served as deputy program manager for Centennial Challenges<\/a>, NASA\u2019s premier, large-prize program. Kim worked with Bradley University and Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois, to conduct NASA\u2019s 3D-printed Habitat Challenge<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cSERVIR was the only organization that could have taken me away from Centennial Challenges,\u201d Kim said. <\/p>\n
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<\/figure>By Celine Smith<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAs the seedlings were placed in the water, I felt a moment of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu,\u201d said NASA scientist Tony Kim. \u201cI was taken back to when I was a child playing in similar fields in South Korea. It felt like I was meant to be there bringing space to village with satellite data.\u201d<\/p>\n As he looked at rice fields while visiting Bhutan in September 2023, Kim savored the chance to do something meaningful across Southeast Asia and also in his native country. Having seen his childhood home turn from rice fields to a city, Kim knows the importance of sustainably using the land.<\/p>\n In Bhutan, Kim and research partners are identifying rice paddies, estimating crop production, predicting shortages, and gauging the health of each harvest. He represents NASA as an international project manager for SERVIR<\/a>, a partnership between NASA and USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development). It is a flagship program for Earth Action in NASA\u2019s Earth Sciences Division, created in 2005 and rooted at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.<\/p>\n SERVIR \u2013 which means \u201cto serve\u201d in Spanish \u2013 aids more than 50 nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America in their efforts to address issues like food and water security, droughts, and the negative effects of climate change. SERVIR assists regional, national, and local institutions by using NASA satellite data, models, and products to manage resources sustainably.<\/p>\n NASA and USAID launched its SERVIR Mekong hub in 2015 at the ADPC <\/em>(Asian<\/em> Disaster Preparedness Center) in Bangkok, Thailand. The hub has been renamed SERVIR Southeast Asia as of this year<\/a>.\u00a0 Other SERVIR hubs are in the Himalayas, West Africa, and the Amazon.<\/p>\n In addition to Bhutan, Kim also traveled back home to Seoul, South Korea \u2013 nearly 20 years since his last visit \u2013 to represent SERVIR Southeast Asia. \u201cWhen I went back to Korea, I felt like a kid going back in time,\u201d Kim said.<\/p>\n The USAID RDMA (Regional Development Mission for Asia), which funds SERVIR Southeast Asia requested Kim\u2019s presence for a meeting with Korean leaders. He discussed the value of NASA satellite data for environmental decision-making with the Korean Ministry of Environment and USAID RDMA, as well as opportunities for collaboration to solve water issues in the Indo-Pacific region and natural resource management in the Lower Mekong sub-region.<\/p>\n \u201cKorea recovered from war in the 1950\u2019s and developed very quickly as a powerhouse for technology products. Now Korea is helping other developing countries in Asia,\u201d Kim said. \u201cI am so proud of my home country and my adopted country (through NASA) helping people around the world to use satellite data in productive ways.\u201d<\/p>\n Kim was eight years old in 1974 when his family moved from the southern edge of Seoul to the suburbs of Chicago. \u201cOur parents immigrated to the United States to give us the opportunity to better ourselves through education,\u201d he said. After high school, he went to the University of Illinois, where he pursued a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. After graduation, he joined Marshall as a propulsion engineer, testing cryogenic fluid management techniques for advanced rocket propulsion systems.<\/p>\n From there, Kim\u2019s 33-year NASA journey led him through a variety of roles. He served in 1992 as an operations controller for two Spacelab missions. In 1996, he led an operation team for the International Space Station Furnace Facility. From 1998-2001, he was a payload operations manager for space station science payloads.<\/p>\n Marshall selected Kim to study at Auburn University in 1997, where he earned his master\u2019s degree in material science. Afterwards, Kim attended the International Space University. Then, he led the ALTUS Cumulus Electrification Study, where an uninhabited aerial vehicle was used to study lightning during a thunderstorm.<\/p>\n Kim was selected in 2003 for the NASA Administrator\u2019s Fellowship Program to teach a design engineering course at Texas A&M in Kingsville for one year. He spent the next year at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Kim returned to Marshall as a deep throttling rocket engine technology manager and then deputy manager for advanced nuclear thermal propulsion technology development.<\/p>\n In 2016, Kim served as deputy program manager for Centennial Challenges<\/a>, NASA\u2019s premier, large-prize program. Kim worked with Bradley University and Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois, to conduct NASA\u2019s 3D-printed Habitat Challenge<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSERVIR was the only organization that could have taken me away from Centennial Challenges,\u201d Kim said. <\/p>\n<\/figure><\/figure>