Indian-Origin NASA Astronaut Anil Menon Set for Landmark Eight-Month ISS Mission

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon is set to begin an eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14 , launching aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan . He will fly with Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina , highlighting continued international cooperation in space exploration through the ISS programme.

Born in Minneapolis to Indian and Ukrainian immigrant parents , the 49-year-old is an emergency medicine physician, US Space Force colonel , and former US Air Force officer. He served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom , worked with the Himalayan Rescue Association on Mount Everest, and spent a year in India as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar , supporting polio vaccination initiatives.

Menon joined NASA as a flight surgeon in 2014 before moving to SpaceX in 2018, where he established the company's medical programme, supported its first human spaceflights and contributed to the development of Starship . He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021 .

During his stay aboard the ISS, Menon will conduct research on the health effects of long-duration spaceflight , including how microgravity alters blood flow, vein structure and blood composition. He will also test technology to produce intravenous fluids using the station's water system, a capability that could prove essential for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

His work will further include research on microgravity-based semiconductor crystal production for advanced computing and AI, as well as AI- and augmented reality-assisted ultrasound systems aimed at reducing reliance on Earth-based medical support.

Menon's mission reflects the growing contribution of Indian-origin scientists and astronauts to global space exploration, complementing India's expanding ambitions in human spaceflight and international space collaboration.