August 05, 2020 - Navy SEAL astronauts ... Capt. Chris Cassidy, Capt. William Shepherd, and Lt. Jonathan Kim are in the "SEALs In Space" campaign. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Navy illustrations by MC3 Alex Perlman)

“At the time, NASA was taking astronaut candidates who were not just pilots,” said Capt. William Shepherd, retired SEAL, and the first commander of the International Space Station. “There were candidates made up of doctors, engineers and scientists, and I looked at that and said, ‘You know I've spent a lot of time in the water in my SCUBA gear, and that's an awful lot like being in a space suit, so I think I’ll just apply and see what happens.’”

Not long after, Shepherd learned he would become a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps, making him not only the first military non-aviator, but also the first Navy SEAL to go through astronaut training in U.S. history.

After four years of training, Shepherd embarked on the space shuttle mission STS-27 (Space Transformation System 27), and launched into space for his first time Dec.2, 1988 from the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Fla.

"We are now at a crossroads, deciding whether we are bound to inhabit only the Earth, or if humans are to live and work far from the home planet,” said Shepherd in an interview regarding the 5th anniversary of continuous life aboard the International Space Station. “Let us continue now with new explorations which are more expansive and more bold; voyages which will define us as a space-faring civilization."

Shepherd’s path to becoming an astronaut in service to the country started with Underwater Demolition Team ELEVEN, then SEAL Teams ONE and TWO, and Special Boat Unit TWENTY, all operating in the Pacific, Atlantic and European theaters.

Although Shepherd was standing in the ranks among the most highly trained warriors in the world, he looked towards the stars to achieve more, he wasn’t the only one.

Capt. (SEAL) Chris Cassidy, a current astronaut, spent more than 10 years in the SEAL teams and was directly influenced by the previous achievements of Shepherd.

"In my experience with the SEAL teams and with going through BUD/S, it's given me the confidence to know I can accomplish anything that I want,” said Cassidy in an interview with U.S. Navy SEAL & SWCC Page. “If you look at SEALs after their life in the teams, you’ll find people in all different sectors of industry doing all types of things. I personally always had an interest in astronauts, and I followed Capt. Shepherd's career and was inspired by him to be an astronaut."

In 2004, Cassidy was selected for NASA’s Astronaut Candidate Class and joined a group of fellow explorers including pilots and engineers. Shortly after selection, he began intensive training that included land survival, T-38 jet ground and flight training, Shuttle orbiter systems training, space station systems training, science and engineering briefings and orientation tours at all NASA centers, including the Kennedy Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

Currently, Cassidy is in command of the International Space Station on ‘Expedition 63.’ The current mission he leads is conducting research investigations focused on biology, earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development, as well as providing the foundation for continuing human spaceflight beyond low-earth orbit to the Moon and Mars which is central to future space exploration as part of NASA’s Artemis program.

The Artemis program is an ongoing U.S. government-funded crewed spaceflight program with the goal of landing "the first woman and the next man" on the Moon by 2024, and it is likely that a U.S. astronaut currently serving in the program will be the next American to step on the surface of the Moon.

It is possible that astronaut could be Lt. (SEAL) Jonny Kim.