NASA astronaut Dr Anil Menon lifted off aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft on Tuesday evening, becoming the first person of Malayali descent to travel into Earth's orbit.

The 49-year-old aerospace engineer and emergency medicine physician launched at 8.17 pm IST from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz 2.1a rocket. He is accompanied by veteran Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina on the mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Menon is travelling to the ISS as part of Expedition 74, marking a significant milestone in his career and a moment of pride for many in Kerala.

State hails historic achievement

People across Kerala celebrated Menon's journey, with leaders describing the mission as a proud moment for the state.

Menon is the great-grandson of former state Congress chief Sir C Sankaran Nair, whose ancestral home is at Chettur House in Ottappalam in Palakkad district.

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar congratulated the astronaut, noting his family roots in the Ottappalam region.

In a Facebook post, the Governor recalled visiting Menon's ancestral home last year to pay tributes to Sir C Sankaran Nair.

"Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Anil Menon, the pride of Kerala, in his historic space odyssey. I have had the fortune of visiting his ancestral home, Chettur House at Ottappalam, a year back, to pay tributes to Anil Menon's great-grandfather, late Sir C Sankaran Nair," Arlekar said.

Congratulatory messages pour in

Chief Minister V D Satheesan had congratulated Menon ahead of the launch, describing his journey to the ISS as a "truly historic milestone" for Kerala.

Spacecraft to dock with ISS before midnight IST

The Soyuz spacecraft is expected to follow a fast-track, two-orbit rendezvous profile and automatically dock with the ISS's Prichal module at around 11.26 pm IST, about three hours after launch. The hatches between the spacecraft and the space station are scheduled to open at around 1.25 am IST on Wednesday.

Once aboard, Menon, Dubrov and Kikina will join the Expedition 74 crew, comprising NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev and Andrey Fedyaev.

NASA is providing live coverage of the launch, docking and hatch opening through NASA+, Amazon Prime and its YouTube channel.

The mission marks Menon's first spaceflight, while it is the second mission for both Dubrov and Kikina.

Eight months of research aboard the ISS

The crew is expected to spend about eight months aboard the International Space Station as members of Expedition 74/75 before returning to Earth in April 2027.

During the mission, Menon will carry out scientific research and technology demonstrations designed to support future human space exploration while benefiting life on Earth.

His work includes research to refine the in-space production of semiconductor crystals, which could help enable large-scale manufacturing of components used in high-performance computers, artificial intelligence systems and advanced medical devices.

He will also conduct ultrasound studies using augmented reality and artificial intelligence techniques that could reduce the need for medical support from Earth during future deep-space missions.

Menon will serve as a test subject in research examining how blood flow changes in microgravity, helping scientists develop measures to protect astronauts on long-duration missions. In addition, he will test the bioprinting of vascular constructs in microgravity to improve understanding of the ageing process and support the development of new therapies.

Space station continues to support future exploration

The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for more than 25 years, enabling scientific research that cannot be carried out under Earth's gravity.

According to NASA, experiments conducted aboard the orbital laboratory are helping scientists overcome the challenges of long-duration human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and prepare for future Artemis missions to the Moon and eventual crewed missions to Mars