From doctor to astronaut: Indian-American Anil Menon set for mission aboard ISS

3 min readJun 18, 2026 05:01 PM IST

Nasa astronaut Anil Menon is preparing for his first spaceflight, an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Image: Nasa)

Nasa astronaut Anil Menon, an Indian-American physician, engineer and military officer, is preparing for the biggest mission of his career as he gets ready to spend about 240 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Menon will leave on July 14, 2026, aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. He will travel alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina for an eight-month mission in orbit. The crew is expected to return to Earth in the spring of 2027.

This mission is his maiden space voyage and is also considered the high point of an illustrious career in science, technology, military operations, and space travel.

From Harvard and Stanford to SpaceX

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to immigrants from India and Ukraine, Menon established himself academically before becoming an astronaut. At Harvard, he earned a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology, then received his medical degree and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.

Further education took place during his residencies in emergency medicine and aerospace medicine, after which he received board certification in both areas.

Before becoming an astronaut, Menon served as a Nasa expedition flight surgeon working with astronauts living and working on the International Space Station. He also trained in Star City, Russia, to assist with Soyuz flights.

His medical knowledge made him one of the important people in the development of commercial space travel. He joined the private space company SpaceX and was appointed its first flight surgeon, responsible for developing astronaut medical systems and assisting in its Demo-2 mission.

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Journey with Nasa

Menon was selected by Nasa as an astronaut candidate in 2021 and completed his two-year astronaut training program in 2024. Since then, Menon has been training for his first assignment in space.

While on board the ISS, Menon will conduct a series of experiments to explore the Moon and Mars. These investigations will examine how microgravity affects blood flow, vein structure, and blood composition in astronauts.

He will also help test technologies for producing intravenous fluids using the station’s potable water system. Such capabilities could become critical during deep-space missions where medical supplies are limited.

Menon is also an accomplished aviator. He is a certified flight instructor with more than 1,000 hours of flying experience and has participated in demanding endurance events, including Ironman competitions and the elite Kokoro challenge.

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Menon’s connection to spaceflight extends to his family as well. He is married to Anna Menon, a SpaceX employee who has worked on several human spaceflight missions. The couple has two children.