Indian-Origin NASA Astronaut Anil Menon Lifts Off For Maiden Spaceflight, Begins 8-Month ISS Trip

Published 14 July 2026 · science

Indian-Origin NASA Astronaut Anil Menon Lifts Off For Maiden Spaceflight, Begins 8-Month ISS Trip Published By, Last Updated: July 14, 2026, 20:59 IST The three

Indian-Origin NASA Astronaut Anil Menon Lifts Off For Maiden Spaceflight, Begins 8-Month ISS Trip Published By, Last Updated: July 14, 2026, 20:59 IST The three crew members will carry out scientific experiments and technology demonstrations aboard the ISS before returning to Earth in 2027. Rapid Read Anil Menon waves during a ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on March 5, 2024. (AFP file photo) Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon lifted off on his maiden journey to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft on Tuesday. He launched from the historic Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan alongside Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The mission marks the second spaceflight for both Dubrov and Kikina. Crew To Return Next Year The three crew members are expected to spend around eight months carrying out scientific research and technology demonstrations before returning to Earth in 2027. The spacecraft, which lifted off at 8.17 pm IST on Tuesday, is scheduled to dock with the orbital laboratory a little over three hours after launch.

Watch The Rocket Launch Video Here The ISS shared a video of the rocket launch on its official X handle. “.@NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off atop the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft at 10:47 a.m. EDT today for a 1:56 p.m. docking to the International Space Station," it tweeted..@NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off atop the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft at 10:47 a.m. EDT today for a 1:56 p.m. docking to the International Space Station. More… pic.twitter.com/D0IWMdUbZP— International Space Station (@Space_Station) July 14, 2026 All About Anil Menon Born in Minneapolis to Indian and Ukrainian immigrant parents, Menon is an emergency medicine physician and a colonel in the US Space Force whose career has spanned medicine, military service and commercial spaceflight. He joined NASA as a flight surgeon in 2014, supporting astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). In 2018, Menon moved to SpaceX, where he established the company’s medical programme, helped prepare its first human spaceflight missions and contributed to the development of Starship, the spacecraft designed for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

He also served with the US Air Force in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and worked with the Himalayan Rescue Association, providing medical care to climbers on Mount Everest. In December 2021, NASA selected Menon as an astronaut, following which he completed the agency’s two-year astronaut training programme. Which Experiments Will Be Focused On During The ISS Mission? During his stay aboard the orbital laboratory, Menon will conduct a series of experiments aimed at improving scientists’ understanding of how the human body adapts to life in space. His research will focus on the physiological effects of long-duration spaceflight, including the impact of microgravity on blood flow, vein structure and blood composition. The findings are expected to aid efforts to safeguard astronauts’ health during future missions beyond low-Earth orbit. Menon will also assist in testing technologies designed to produce intravenous fluids using the ISS’s potable water system. The capability is considered crucial for future missions to the Moon, Mars and other deep-space destinations, where medical supplies will be limited and resupply missions may not be feasible.