Indian-origin Nasa astronaut Anil Menon, along with his two Russian cosmonauts on Tuesday lifted off aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft for his first spaceflight, beginning an approximately eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS).The spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8.17 pm IST (10.47 am EDT), carrying Menon alongside Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. After a two-orbit, three-hour journey, the Soyuz spacecraft is scheduled to dock automatically with the ISS’s Prichal module.Born in Minneapolis to an Indian father and a Ukrainian mother, the 49-year-old Menon is an emergency medicine physician, a US Space Force colonel, and a Nasa astronaut selected in 2021.Also read: Russia successfully launches Indian-origin Nasa astronaut Anil Menon to space
What is the mission about?
Menon and his crewmates will support Expeditions 74 and 75, carrying out scientific experiments and technology demonstrations aimed at advancing long-duration human spaceflight, during their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.A major focus of Menon’s mission will be understanding how the human body adapts to extended periods in microgravity. He will participate in studies examining blood flow, vein structure and blood composition to better understand the physiological effects of space travel and help protect astronauts on future missions to the Moon and Mars.Menon will also help test a system that can produce intravenous (IV) fluids using the ISS’s potable water supply, a capability considered crucial for deep-space missions where medical supplies cannot be easily replenished.Another key experiment will focus on manufacturing semiconductor crystals in microgravity, research that could improve the production of components used in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and advanced medical devices on Earth.Read more: Who is Anil Menon, Indian-origin Nasa astronaut headed to ISSThe mission will also evaluate the use of augmented reality and artificial intelligence-assisted ultrasound, technologies designed to enable astronauts to perform complex medical examinations without real-time guidance from doctors on Earth. Menon will additionally participate in research on bioprinting vascular tissue in microgravity, which could contribute to studies on ageing and future regenerative therapies.The Soyuz mission comes amid continued cooperation between US’ Nasa and Russia’s Roscosmos on the ISS, despite broader geopolitical tensions especially due to Ukraine war. Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman attended the launch in Kazakhstan. Once aboard the ISS, Menon, Dubrov and Kikina will join seven astronauts and cosmonauts already living on the station before beginning their research mission, which is scheduled to conclude with their return to Earth in April 2027.
