Who is Anil Menon, the Indian-origin NASA astronaut of Malayali descent set to travel to space?
NASA astronaut Dr. Anil Menon is set to launch on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station. A former flight surgeon and SpaceX employee, Menon brings extensive medical and aerospace experience to the mission.
Why it matters
Menon's mission represents a significant achievement for the Indian diaspora in the field of aerospace and space exploration.
Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut of Indian heritage, is scheduled to begin an eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS), launching from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan alongside two Russian cosmonauts. The Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft is scheduled for lift-off from the Baikonur spaceport at 8:17 p.m. (IST) on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) and is expected to dock at the orbital laboratory after a little over three hours.
Let’s take a closer look at Anil Menon's life and how this event marks a historic milestone for the Indian community.
Born in Minneapolis to Ukrainian and Indian immigrants, 49-year-old Dr. Menon is an emergency medicine physician and a Colonel in the US Space Force. He served on the front lines in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom while in the U.S. Air Force and later volunteered with the Himalayan Rescue Association, providing care for climbers on Mount Everest.
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