The World Taekwondo (WT) flag has made history by venturing into space.
WT officials announced on Wednesday that their official flag blasted off aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft at 7:47 p.m. local time on Tuesday from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome. This groundbreaking event marks the first time an international sports federation’s official flag has participated in a space mission.
This ambitious project, which symbolizes taekwondo’s future vision and global reach, was spearheaded by Kudrat Shamiyev, president of the Kazakhstan Taekwondo Association. The timing coincides with the lead-up to the one-year countdown to the 2027 Astana World Taekwondo Championships.
In a ceremonial handover, WT President Choi Choong-won presented the WT flag to cosmonaut Sergey K. Krikalev, commemorating taekwondo’s cosmic journey.
The space-faring flag is set to return to Earth next year. After receiving official certification of its extraterrestrial voyage, it will serve as the official banner for the World Taekwondo Championships.
While the Olympic flag and International Federation of Association Football’s (FIFA) soccer ball have previously reached the final frontier, WT officials note that taekwondo has achieved a first by sending an international sports federation’s official flag into orbit.
Taekwondo is breaking new ground, President Choi remarked. This space launch is a pivotal moment. It not only heralds the upcoming 2027 Astana World Championships but also propels taekwondo’s message of peace, hope, and limitless potential to a truly global – and now interplanetary – audience.