Indian-origin National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Anil Menon is set to make his maiden journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14, kicking off an eight-month mission dedicated to studying human health, testing advanced technologies, and supporting preparations for future deep-space missions.
Who is Anil Menon?
Anil Menon was selected by NASA to join the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class. He reported for duty in January 2022. Menon was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch its first humans into space during the Demo-2 mission and building a medical organisation to support the human system during future missions, according to his profile on the NASA website. Earlier, he served NASA as the crew flight surgeon for various expeditions on the International Space Station. Menon is an actively practising emergency medicine physician with fellowship training in wilderness medicine. As a physician, he was a first responder during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, and the 2011 Reno Air Show accident. The 49-year-old also previously served the US Air Force as a flight surgeon, logged over 100 sorties in the F-15, and transported over 100 patients as part of the critical care air transport team. Menon will embark on his first mission to the International Space Station in July 2026, serving as a flight engineer and Expedition 75 crew member, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina.
He was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Ukrainian and Indian immigrants. He is married to Anna Menon, 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. He enjoys endurance races such as Ironman and Kokoro, and backpacking with his family. During his stay aboard the ISS, Anil Menon will carry out a series of experiments aimed at improving understanding of how the human body adapts to life in space, according to a News18 report.
Besides, Menon will participate in research aimed at refining the in-space production of semiconductor crystals. He is also expected to conduct ultrasound investigations using augmented reality and artificial intelligence tools.
