Updated 2 July 2025 at 08:54 IST
Who Is Anil Menon? NASA’s Indian-Origin Astronaut Set for His First Space Journey in June 2026
Anil Menon, an Indian-origin NASA astronaut, is set to embark on his first mission to the International Space Station in June 2026.
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Who Is Anil Menon? NASA’s Astronaut Set for His First Space Journey in 2026 | Image:
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NASA astronaut Anil Menon has officially been assigned to his first space mission. He will serve as a flight engineer and crew member of Expedition 75 aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Scheduled to launch in June 2026 aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, Menon will fly alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, departing from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The trio is set to spend around eight months aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting scientific research and technology demonstrations to support future human missions beyond Earth.
Who Is Anil Menon?
Anil Menon is an Indian-origin American astronaut, born on October 15, 1976, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Indian and Ukrainian parents.
He studied neurobiology at Harvard University, earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering, and later completed his medical degree at Stanford University. He also trained in emergency and aerospace medicine, completing residencies at Stanford and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
Before joining NASA, Menon worked at SpaceX as the company’s first flight surgeon, playing a major role in the historic NASA-SpaceX Demo-2 mission the first crewed flight of the Dragon spacecraft. He also helped build SpaceX’s medical program for future human spaceflight.
In 2021, Menon was selected as a NASA astronaut and graduated with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. Even while training, he continued practicing emergency medicine and mentoring future physicians at the University of Texas.
Anna Menon: SpaceX Engineer and Anil Menon’s Wife
Anil Menon’s wife, Anna Menon, is a lead space operations engineer at SpaceX and serves as mission director for the company. She is also part of the Polaris Dawn mission, a private crewed spaceflight focused on testing new technologies and performing a commercial spacewalk.
Anna worked at NASA for seven years before moving to SpaceX, where she has been instrumental in developing the Dragon spacecraft’s crew capabilities and supporting missions from SpaceX's mission control.
In addition to her work in spaceflight, Anna is a children’s book author, having written “Kisses from Space”, inspired by her experience as a mother and an explorer.
The couple married in 2016 and have two children. Together, they represent a powerful blend of science, exploration, and family.
Published 2 July 2025 at 08:54 IST