Who Is Anil Menon? NASA Astronaut, Doctor and Former SpaceX Flight Surgeon Now on ISS

 Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Wednesday congratulated Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon, whose roots trace back to Ottapalam in Kerala's Palakkad district, on successfully reaching the International Space Station (ISS), saying that "Keralam salutes his dedication."

Menon safely arrived at the ISS after launching aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, marking the beginning of his first spaceflight—an eight-month mission focused on scientific research and technology demonstrations.

In a post on X, Satheesan wrote, "Dr. Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut with roots in Ottapalam, Palakkad, has successfully entered the International Space Station (ISS) for an 8-month mission. As a doctor and flight engineer aboard the Soyuz MS-29, his stellar journey inspires us all. Keralam salutes his dedication and wishes him and his crew a successful mission."

Menon, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, reached the orbiting laboratory after the Soyuz spacecraft docked with the ISS's Prichal module following a three-hour journey from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Their arrival increased the station's crew to 10.

Ahead of the launch, Menon posted on X: "Proud to serve the United States Space Force and fly to the International Space Station today in support of NASA and our international partners!" In another post, he expressed gratitude to his family, friends and the NASA community as he prepared to begin the mission.

The mission marks a major milestone for Menon, who is the first NASA astronaut of Malayali descent to travel to space. During his stay aboard the ISS, he will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations, including studies on the effects of microgravity on the human body, ultrasound using augmented reality and artificial intelligence, blood flow in space, and bioprinting vascular constructs. He will also work on refining the in-space production of semiconductor crystals for future high-performance computing, AI systems and advanced medical devices.

Born to an Indian father and a Ukrainian mother, Menon is an emergency medicine physician, a US Air Force colonel and a former SpaceX flight surgeon. Before joining NASA's astronaut corps in 2021, he served in Afghanistan, participated in humanitarian missions in Haiti and Nepal, supported multiple ISS missions as a NASA flight surgeon, and later became SpaceX's first flight surgeon. He completed NASA's astronaut training in 2024 before being assigned to the Soyuz MS-29 mission.

NASA said Menon, Dubrov and Kikina will remain aboard the ISS until April 2027. The agency added that the research conducted during Expedition 74/75 will help advance human space exploration while contributing to scientific breakthroughs in medicine, engineering and materials science that benefit life on Earth.

Menon's achievement drew congratulations from several organisations, including the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), which wished the crew a safe and successful mission. His journey also highlights the continued international cooperation aboard the ISS, where astronauts from different nations continue to work together despite geopolitical tensions on Earth.