Washington: Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon on Tuesday embarked on his maiden journey into space, lifting off aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for an eight-month scientific mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The Soyuz spacecraft blasted off at 8:17 PM IST, carrying Menon along with Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS just over three hours after launch, marking the beginning of Expedition 75.
Eight-Month Mission Focused on Space Medicine
During the mission, the three-member crew will spend nearly eight months aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a series of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations before returning to Earth in 2027.
Menon will play a key role in research aimed at understanding how prolonged exposure to microgravity affects the human body. The studies will examine blood circulation, vein structure and blood composition to improve astronaut health during long-duration space missions.
❗️🇮🇳-Origin Astronaut Anil Menon Blasts Off On His First Space Mission Aboard 🇷🇺 Soyuz MS-29
He will be joined on the mission to the ISS by Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina.
The crew is expected to spend around eight months in orbit before returning to Earth… pic.twitter.com/Tql30bUrc2
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) July 14, 2026
He will also participate in testing the production of intravenous (IV) fluids using the ISS’s potable water system—an innovation considered vital for future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, where medical resources will be limited.
NASA said Menon will further support advanced medical demonstrations, including ultrasound procedures assisted by augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI), technologies expected to enhance healthcare capabilities during deep-space exploration.
Distinguished Career in Medicine and Space Exploration
Born in Minneapolis to an Indian father and a Ukrainian mother, 49-year-old Anil Menon has an accomplished background spanning medicine, engineering, military service and space exploration.
A physician specializing in emergency medicine and a colonel in the US Space Force, Menon holds academic qualifications in neurobiology, mechanical engineering and medicine. Earlier in his career, he served with the US Air Force, including a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
He also volunteered with the Himalayan Rescue Association, providing medical care to climbers on Mount Everest, and spent a year in India as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, contributing to polio vaccination initiatives.
From NASA Flight Surgeon to Astronaut
Menon joined NASA in 2014 as a flight surgeon, supporting astronauts aboard the ISS. In 2018, he moved to SpaceX, where he established the company’s medical programme, helped support its first crewed missions and contributed to the development of the Starship spacecraft designed for future lunar and Martian missions.
Selected as part of NASA’s 2021 astronaut class, Menon completed rigorous astronaut training before receiving his first spaceflight assignment.
A Proud Milestone for the Indian-Origin Community
Menon’s maiden voyage represents another landmark achievement for the Indian-origin scientific community in global space exploration. His research aboard the ISS is expected to advance technologies and medical knowledge critical for NASA’s future Artemis missions to the Moon and eventual human expeditions to Mars.
