Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon sets off on maiden space voyage
Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has embarked on his first journey into space, launching aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the historic Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
Menon lifted off at 8:17 PM IST alongside Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, both of whom are making their second trip to the International Space Station (ISS).
LIVE: @astro_anil is about to embark on his first-ever spaceflight! Watch as a new crew launches to the @Space_Station at 10:47am ET (1447 UTC). https://t.co/tXThOUzdir
— NASA (@NASA) July 14, 2026
The Soyuz spacecraft is expected to dock with the orbiting laboratory a little over three hours after launch.
The three-member crew is scheduled to spend approximately eight months aboard the ISS, carrying out scientific research and technology demonstrations before returning to Earth in 2027.
Mission to advance deep-space exploration
During Expedition 75, Menon will participate in a series of critical experiments aimed at improving human health during long-duration space missions.
The research includes studying blood circulation, vein structure and blood composition in microgravity to better understand how the human body adapts to life in space.
He will also help test the production of intravenous (IV) fluids using the ISS's potable water system—an innovation that could prove crucial for future missions to the Moon and Mars, where medical supplies will be limited.
NASA said Menon will also take part in advanced medical and technology demonstrations, including ultrasound procedures supported by augmented reality and artificial intelligence, technologies designed to assist astronauts during future deep-space expeditions.
Who is Anil Menon?
Born in Minneapolis to an Indian father and a Ukrainian mother, 49-year-old Anil Menon has built an exceptional career spanning medicine, engineering, the military and space exploration.
He holds degrees in neurobiology, mechanical engineering and medicine, and currently serves as an emergency medicine physician and a colonel in the US Space Force.
During his service with the US Air Force, Menon was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
He also volunteered with the Himalayan Rescue Association, treating climbers on Mount Everest.
Menon spent a year in India as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, where he worked on polio vaccination initiatives.
From NASA flight surgeon to astronaut
Menon joined NASA in 2014 as a flight surgeon, providing medical support to astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
In 2018, he moved to SpaceX, where he founded the company's medical programme, supported the first crewed spaceflights and contributed to the development of Starship, the next-generation spacecraft intended for missions to the Moon and Mars.
He was selected as part of NASA's 2021 astronaut class and completed two years of intensive astronaut training before being assigned to his first space mission.
A milestone for Indian-origin representation in space
Menon's maiden mission marks another significant achievement for the Indian-origin scientific community in global space exploration.
His work aboard the ISS is expected to contribute to research that will help shape future human missions beyond low-Earth orbit, including NASA's planned expeditions to the Moon under the Artemis programme and eventual crewed missions to Mars.
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