Indian-origin Nasa astronaut Anil Menon was launched by Russia on Tuesday on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.Menon was aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft along with cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina.During his stay aboard the International Space Station, Menon will conduct experiments to study the physiological effects of long-duration spaceflight, including how microgravity affects blood flow, vein structure and blood composition in astronauts.He will also help test technology to produce intravenous fluids using the station’s potable water system, a capability that could be important for future deep-space missions where medical supplies are limited.
Who is Anil Menon?
Menon was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Indian and Ukrainian immigrant parents. He is married to Anna Menon and the couple have two children. A certified flight instructor, he has logged more than 1,000 flying hours and also participates in endurance events such as Ironman and Kokoro. Menon’s wife, Anna Wilhelm Menon, is also an astronaut. Menon joined Nasa as a flight surgeon in 2014, where he worked with astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station.In 2018, he joined SpaceX and helped establish the company’s medical programme, supported preparations for its first human spaceflights, and worked on the development of Starship, the rocket and spacecraft designed for missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.Menon was selected as a Nasa astronaut in December 2021 and began the agency’s two-year astronaut training programme the following month.Menon studied neurobiology at Harvard University, where he conducted research on Huntington’s disease. He later spent a year in India as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, supporting polio vaccination efforts.He went on to study medicine and engineering at Stanford University, where he also worked on soft tissue modelling at Nasa’s Ames Research Center in California.During his emergency medicine residency, Menon joined the California Air National Guard and gained experience in wilderness medicine by supporting remote adventure races. After completing his residency, he served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and later worked with the Himalayan Rescue Association, providing medical care to climbers on Mount Everest.
