A radiation oncologist has become the first South Korean ever to be selected for a training course of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA).
 
The Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences said on Wednesday that Jang Won-il, chief of Korea Cancer Center Hospital’s radiation oncology department, was selected for a NASA course to train experts on cosmic radiation.
 
Competition around the world is fierce to participate in the three-week course for rising researchers, with only 15 people chosen on average.
 
Cosmic rays, which come from the sun itself and or outside of the solar system, mainly consist of particles charged with high energy. Because of their potential destructive power, proper control and preparation against cosmic rays are needed for space travel.