Anil Menon, an Indian-origin astronaut with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is one of three members of a space expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) that began its 8-month extraterrestrial odyssey on the evening of Tuesday.
The mission was launched aboard Russia’s Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the same place from which India’s first astronaut, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma had flown into space on a Soviet rocket.
“Excited to launch aboard Soyuz MS-29 from Kazakhstan and begin an eight-month mission supporting NASA and Expedition 74/75. Grateful for the NASA community, friends, family, and loved ones,” 50-year old Menon, who holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force, said on his X handle.
Menon is accompanied by Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. All three will join ISS’s Expedition 74 for undertaking scientific research before returning to Earth in April 2027. This is Menon’s first spaceflight and the second for Dubrov and Kikina.
After a two-orbit, three-hour trip to the station, the spacecraft will automatically dock at the Prichal module. Shortly afterward, hatches will open between the Soyuz and the orbiting laboratory, NASA said on its website.
Once onboard the ISS, the trio will join Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev and Andrey Fedyaev, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams, and European Space Agency’s Sophie Adenot.
“Congratulations to @astro_anil and his Soyuz MS-29 crew on a successful launch and on their voyage to the International Space Station. Anil has spent his entire life preparing for this moment. He is a scholar, military officer, physician, pilot, husband, father and will undoubtedly become one of the great American astronauts. I am beyond happy for him and his family that he is achieving this lifelong dream,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X after the lift-off.
What will Menon do in space
During his stay on the space station, Menon will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations aimed at advancing human space exploration and benefiting life on Earth, according to information shared by NASA.
He will continue research to refine in-space production of semiconductor crystals to enable the large-scale manufacturing of components needed for high-performance computers, artificial intelligence, and improved medical devices.
Menon also will perform ultrasound using augmented reality and artificial intelligence methods that could eliminate the need for medical support from Earth on future space missions. He will be a test subject helping researchers understand how blood flow is affected in space to protect future astronauts. He also will test bioprinting vascular constructs in microgravity to improve understanding of the aging process to advance therapeutic developments, NASA said.
Menon’s biographical sketch
According to his official biography, Menon was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Ukrainian and Indian immigrants. He is married to Anna Menon, also an American astronaut, and they have two children. Menon enjoys teaching general aviation as a certified flight instructor and has logged over 1,000 hours as a pilot.
His family hails from Ottapalam in Kerala. “Their achievements will inspire a new generation of young Indians and Malayalees to dream bigger, pursue science, and push the frontiers of innovation,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the BJP’s state president said on X.
Menon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Neurobiology from Harvard University, a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a Doctor of Medicine from Stanford Medical School. He has also studied Emergency Medicine, Wilderness Medicine, Aerospace Medicine and Public Health.
Menon started as a NASA flight surgeon in 2014 and supported four long-duration crew members on the ISS as the deputy crew surgeon for Soyuz 39 and Soyuz 43 missions and prime crew surgeon for Soyuz 52 mission. As a member of the Human Health and Performance Directorate, he also served as the medical lead for the health maintenance system and direct return aircraft development.
Menon was selected by NASA to join the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class and reported for duty in January 2022. Menon was the first flight surgeon with SpaceX, the same organisation with which Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla, India’s first visitor to the ISS, had flown, piloting the spacecraft from and to Earth.
