Indian-Origin Astronaut Anil Menon to Embark on First NASA Mission to ISS in 2026

Anil Menon, an astronaut of Indian origin, is preparing for his first space mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2026, according to a statement released by NASA.

Menon will serve as a flight engineer and a member of Expedition 75.

He will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The team will spend approximately eight months aboard the orbiting laboratory.

During his time on the ISS, Menon will conduct scientific research and test innovative technologies aimed at improving human space exploration and contributing to the betterment of humankind.

Who is Anil Menon?

Born to immigrants from Ukraine and India, Menon spent his childhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a certified flight instructor with over 1,000 hours of flight time and a passion for teaching general aviation.

Menon graduated from Saint Paul Academy and Summit School in 1995. He holds a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from Harvard University (1999), a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University (2004), and a medical degree from Stanford Medical School (2006). He completed his residency in emergency medicine at Stanford in 2009, along with a fellowship in wilderness medicine in 2010.

He further specialized with a residency in aerospace medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston in 2012, where he also earned a master’s degree in public health that same year. He is currently board-certified in both aerospace medicine and emergency medicine.

Menon joined NASA in 2014 as a flight surgeon. He provided medical support for astronauts on long-duration missions aboard the International Space Station, serving as deputy crew surgeon for Soyuz 39 and Soyuz 43 missions, and as the primary crew surgeon for Soyuz 52. He also contributed to the health maintenance system and the development of the direct return aircraft within the human health and performance directorate. As part of his role, he lived and worked in Star City, Russia, for over six months, according to NASA.