Professor David William Kim of the College of Liberal Arts at the Korea Institute for Astronauts (KIFA) gave a live interview on Arirang TV, an international broadcaster, on Wednesday, October 7, at approximately 12:25 p.m., discussing the fifth launch of the Korean space launch vehicle Nuri, scheduled for that day, and the future of spaceflight. During the interview, he shared his views on the significance of the consecutive Nuri launches, the current state of Korea’s evolving space industry, and the expanding participation of private (university-affiliated) companies. 
 
Live TV Interview: https://youtu.be/0lQfJ39KL3s?si=-JCcqSSgsKiqtXyp
 
In particular, Professor Kim introduced his recent SCI-indexed research on “Astronauts and Companion Animals,” explaining that while animals were used as subjects to study the space environment in past space development efforts, in the future, companion animals could serve as companions providing emotional stability and social interaction for humans living in space for extended periods. This demonstrates that future space life could expand beyond engineering technologies—such as launch vehicles and spacecraft—into a field of interdisciplinary research that integrates medicine, life sciences, psychology, social sciences, and the humanities.
  
Professor Kim also explained the major challenges of future space life—including coping with space radiation and microgravity, life support systems, mental health, and medical systems—necessary for humans to live for extended periods in outer space, such as on the Moon and Mars. This interview logically presented Professor Kim’s views on the changes that the popularization of space travel will bring to our lives and culture, as well as the potential for a future space life where humans, technology, and life coexist.