‘Hello from the ISS’: Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon shares video from orbit

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 16, 2026 05:29 PM IST

Anil Menon has shared his first video from the International Space Station after arriving aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft (Photo: @astro_anil/Instagram)

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) and documented his first day from orbit.

The astronaut with roots in Kerala travelled to the orbiting laboratory aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The trio lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10.47 am EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) on Tuesday before completing a rapid three-hour, two-orbit journey.

Anil Menon’s first video from orbit

The Soyuz capsule successfully docked with the ISS’s Prichal module at 1.52 pm EDT, increasing the station’s crew to 10 members for the next two weeks. Hours after reaching the space station, Menon posted a video, offering his first glimpse from orbit. The video featured stunning views of Earth.

“Hello from the International Space Station. It’s day one for me,” he said at the beginning of the video before thanking his family members, Anna, Grace, and James, for their unwavering support. He also wished Grace a happy birthday. Menon also expressed special gratitude to his former colleagues at SpaceX, crediting them with shaping his career.

“Thank you all for teaching me how to do the impossible. I have used that lesson time and time again,” he said.

“I’m happy to be working alongside you, using the Space Station as a stepping stone to those huge dreams of ours. Let’s go, team. Let’s do this,” he added.

Sharing the video on Instagram, he wrote, “Day 1 in orbit and I’m overwhelmed by gratitude, love, and beauty for this Earth we share. Hello from the International Space Station.”

The video garnered support from numerous social media users, with one noting, “Congrats Anil!!! Can’t wait to see what all you accomplish! You did it.” Another user commented, “Such a fabulous video!! Fueling dreams of young people everywhere.”

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“The buckle! Dude, I’m so happy for you. Have a great mission!” a third user reacted.