Houston, Texas, USA: Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon is set to embark on his first journey to space on July 14, when he launches to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Expeditions 74 and 75.
Menon will travel aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The crew is expected to spend approximately eight months aboard the orbiting laboratory before returning to Earth in the spring of 2027.
During the mission, Menon will carry out a range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations designed to support future human exploration of the Moon and Mars while contributing to advancements that could benefit life on Earth.
Among the planned research activities are studies focused on astronaut vein structure, blood circulation and blood composition in microgravity. The crew will also evaluate technologies for producing intravenous fluids using the station's potable water supply.
The Soyuz MS-29 mission marks Menon's first spaceflight since he was selected as a member of NASA's 2021 astronaut class and officially began astronaut training in January 2022.
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Menon is the son of Indian and Ukrainian immigrants. His professional background spans emergency medicine, engineering and military service. He serves as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and previously worked as a NASA flight surgeon supporting International Space Station crews.
Before joining NASA's astronaut corps, Menon became SpaceX's first flight surgeon, helping establish the company's medical program. He played a key role in supporting the historic Demo-2 mission, SpaceX's first crewed spaceflight, and contributed to the development of medical systems for future human space missions.
Throughout his career, Menon has participated in several major humanitarian and emergency response efforts, including the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Reno Air Show accident and the 2015 Nepal earthquake. He also served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the US Air Force's critical care air transport team.
As a flight surgeon, Menon logged more than 100 sorties in the F-15 aircraft and contributed to the transport of more than 100 patients.
Academically, Menon graduated from St. Paul Academy and Summit School in Minnesota before earning a bachelor's degree in neurobiology from Harvard University in 1999. He later completed a master's degree in mechanical engineering at Stanford University in 2004 and received his medical degree from Stanford Medical School in 2006.
He subsequently completed training in emergency medicine, wilderness medicine and aerospace medicine, while also earning a master's degree in public health from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Menon is board-certified in both aerospace medicine and emergency medicine.
His upcoming mission represents a significant milestone in a distinguished career that combines medicine, engineering, military service and space exploration.
