Who is Anil Menon? Indian-origin Nasa astronaut's journey from Kerala to the Stars
Dr. Anil Menon, an emergency physician and U.S. Space Force Colonel, is set to become the first NASA astronaut of Malayali descent to visit the International Space Station. His career spans combat medicine, high-altitude rescue, and aerospace engineering.
Why it matters
The mission highlights the intersection of diverse professional backgrounds in modern space exploration and represents a significant cultural milestone for the Indian-American community.
From the high-altitude peaks of Mount Everest to the battlefields of Afghanistan, Dr. Anil Menon has spent his life pushing the boundaries of medicine and service. Tonight, the 49-year-old emergency physician and U.S. Space Force Colonel is taking his ultimate leap. Blasting off from the historic Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Dr. Menon is bound for an eight-month stay aboard the International Space Station—marking a monumental milestone as the first NASA astronaut of Malayali descent to journey into the cosmos. Here’s all you need to know about him…All about the expeditionThe Indian-American astronaut Anil Menon is heading to the International Space Station (ISS) for an eight-month mission. Dr. Menon will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, flying alongside Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina as part of Expedition 74. The launch is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 8:17 p.m.
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