World Taekwondo marked a milestone in global sports governance, becoming one of the first International Sports Federations to have its official governing flag flown into outer space.\u00a0
This unprecedented cosmic milestone was achieved as part of the official one-year-to-go countdown activities leading up to the highly anticipated 2027 World Taekwondo Championships, scheduled to take place in Astana, Kazakhstan from July 5\u201313, 2027. The activities were arranged by the Kazakhstan Taekwondo Federation, led by its President, Mr. Kudrat Shamiyev.
The monumental event unfolded at the historic Baikonur Cosmodrome, the world’s first and largest operational space launch facilityB. The World Taekwondo flag was launched into orbit aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, which lifted off precisely at 19:47 local time from the legendary launch complex yesterday.
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Previously, the International Olympic Committee\u2019s Olympic flag was launched to space as part of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games proceedings, and FIFA had sent official match balls to the International Space Station. By officially adding its flag into an active space mission, World Taekwondo stands alone in extending its institutional identity beyond Earth\u2019s atmosphere.\u00a0
“Today, Taekwondo transcends terrestrial boundaries. By sending our flag into space, we are not only celebrating the one-year countdown to our flagship championships in Astana, but we are also sending a universal message of hope, peace, and limitless human potential. We are deeply honored to be the one of first International Sports Federations to achieve this extraordinary feat,” enthused World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue shortly after watching the lift-off live at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.\u00a0
The prime crew includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Commander Pyotr Dubrov and Flight Engineer Anna Kikina, as well as NASA astronaut Flight Engineer Anil Menon. The backup crew consists of Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Konstantin Borisov, and NASA astronaut Denise Burnham.
While in space, the crew will take a picture holding the World Taekwondo flag. The flag will return to Earth next year. It will include a seal of universe and will be used as the official flag of World Championships.
The countdown to the launch began earlier yesterday following an official high-level delegation visit to the Baikonur Cosmodrome complex. The itinerary included the dedication of a newly constructed sports venue, which will serve the local Taekwondo community as a premier hub for athlete development and community engagement.
To mark the occasion, a new statue of a Taekwondo athlete was unveiled and presented to the city of Baikonur. Depicted holding a globe, the monument serves as a powerful symbol of unity, peace, friendship, and new horizons.
This was followed by a ceremonial flag-handing presentation, during which Choue formally handed the World Taekwondo flag to renowned cosmonaut Sergey K. Krikalev, an iconic figure in space exploration, ensuring Taekwondo’s symbolic inclusion in the mission.\u00a0
Following the presentation, the international delegation embarked on an extensive technical and historical tour of the complex. The itinerary included a poignant visit to Gagarin\u2019s Start Site (Launch Pad No. 2) \u2013 the exact location from which Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space in 1961 \u2013 as well as the Cosmonautics Museum, the Buran Orbital Spacecraft, and the preserved historic homes of space pioneers Yuri A. Gagarin and Chief Designer Sergey P. Korolev. The delegation also inspected the state-of-the-art Energia\u2013Buran Assembly and Testing Complex (MIK) and the Launch Control Facility.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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