Who is Anil Menon, an Indian NASA astronaut of Malayalam descent who embarked on a space journey?

NASA astronaut Anil Menon attends a news conference prior to the launch of Soyuz MS-29 to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on July 13, 2026. | Photo credit: Reuters

Indian-born NASA astronaut Anil Menon is scheduled to begin an eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS), launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan alongside two Russian cosmonauts. The Roskosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 20:17 (IST) and is expected to dock at the orbiting laboratory for just over three hours.

Let’s take a closer look at Anil Menon’s life and how this event marks a historical milestone for the Indian community.

Anil Menon: NASA astronaut making history

Born in Minneapolis to Ukrainian and Indian immigrants, 49-year-old Dr. Menon is an emergency medicine physician and a colonel in the US Space Force. He served on the front lines in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom while in the US Air Force and later volunteered with the Himalayan Rescue Association, caring for climbers on Mount Everest.

Dr. Menon studied neurobiology at Harvard University before completing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a medical degree at Stanford University. He later specialized in emergency medicine and aviation medicine. He also spent a year in India as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to study and support polio vaccination initiatives.

Dr. Menon began his career at NASA as a flight surgeon in 2014, working with astronauts living and working on the International Space Station. He joined SpaceX in 2018, where he launched the company’s medical program, helped prepare its first human spaceflight, and worked closely on the development of Starship, a superheavy rocket and spacecraft for missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

He was selected as a NASA astronaut in December 2021 and joined a two-year training program the following month.

Dr. Menon’s wife, Anna Wilhelm, is also an astronaut and traveled to space in September 2024 as part of Polaris Dawn, a private manned space flight operated by SpaceX. The space flight lasted almost five days.

NASA’s first Malaysian-born astronaut

Dr. Menon’s family roots go back to Ottapalam in Palakkad district of Kerala. His father, KP Shankaran Menon, is a native of Ottapalam, Palakkad. His great grandfather is Sir Chetur Shankaran Nair, a famous lawyer and freedom fighter who carved his own niche during the British Raj. . His mother, Elizabeth, is an immigrant from Ukraine to America.

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Saturday (July 11) congratulated Dr. Menon on his trip to the International Space Station (ISS) and termed it a “truly historic milestone” for the state.

He said that the mission of Dr. Menon’s pioneering research into semiconductor crystals and medicines is a testament to human excellence.

What will Anil Menon do in the mission?

He should travel to space aboard the Roskosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft together with cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina as part of Expedition 74 . Aboard the ISS, Dr. Menon will conduct a series of experiments that will study the physiological toll of long-duration spaceflight and investigate how microgravity affects blood flow, vein structure, and blood composition in astronauts.

It will also help test technologies for producing intravenous fluids using the station’s drinking water system. Such capabilities could become critical during deep space missions where medical supplies are limited.

Dr. Menon will continue research aimed at improving the manufacturing of semiconductor crystals in space to enable the large-scale production of components needed for high-performance computers, artificial intelligence and advanced medical devices. It will also conduct ultrasound examinations using augmented reality and artificial intelligence methods, which could eliminate the need for medical support from Earth on future space missions.

(With agency input)

Published – 14 July 2026 12:25 PM IST