Who is Anil Menon? Indian-origin astronaut set for first space mission in 2026
Anil Menon, a flight engineer and part of NASA's Expedition 75 crew, is set to make his first journey to the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2026. According to an official statement from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Menon will launch aboard Roscosmos' Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, alongside Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina.
The mission is expected to last approximately eight months, during which he will support scientific research and technology demonstrations aimed at advancing human space exploration and contributing to life on Earth.
Background and heritage
Born in the United States in 1976, Anil Menon comes from a diverse heritage. His father, Shankaran Menon, is a Malabar immigrant to the US, while his mother is Lisa Samoilenko, of Ukrainian descent.
Academic and military credentials
Anil Menon has an extensive educational background. He holds a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He later earned both a medical degree and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, California.
He also completed a residency in aerospace medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where he authored a thesis focusing on medical kits designed for commercial spaceflight. For his military service, Menon was assigned to the 173rd Fighter Wing.
Medical and Aerospace career
Before being selected as a NASA astronaut, Anil Menon had a rich background in medicine and aerospace. He is a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force and a specialist in emergency medicine. He served as a flight surgeon at NASA and was formerly the medical director at SpaceX.
Menon was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, playing a pivotal role in the launch of the first crewed Dragon spacecraft during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission. He also helped develop SpaceX’s medical infrastructure to support future human spaceflight missions.
Additionally, he served as a crew flight surgeon for various SpaceX launches and NASA missions aboard the ISS.
Becoming a NASA astronaut
Anil Menon was selected as part of NASA's 23rd astronaut class in 2021 and officially graduated in 2024 after completing his initial candidate training. He has since begun preparing for his debut ISS mission scheduled for 2026.
Life outside the space programme
Even outside his space duties, Menon remains active in the medical field. He continues to practise emergency medicine at Memorial Hermann’s Texas Medical Center and serves as a mentor to medical residents at the University of Texas’ residency programme.
Family and personal life
Anil Menon is married to Anna Menon, who is a Lead Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX. She is also a spaceflight crew member of Polaris Dawn, part of Jared Isaacman’s Polaris programme. The couple have two children.
(With agency inputs)