Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon leaves for the International Space Station, will do research for 8 months

New Delhi: Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon has left for his first space journey to the International Space Station in Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft. He flew with Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina from the historic Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This will be the second mission for both Dubrov and Kikina. It is expected that all three will conduct scientific research and technology experiments for about eight months before returning to Earth in 2027. This spacecraft, which will fly at 8:17 pm on Tuesday night, will connect with the Orbital Laboratory after a little more than three hours.

This research will be done in the International Space Station

NASA says that he will also take part in experiments related to advanced medical and technology, which include ultrasound procedures. In these processes, augmented reality and artificial intelligence will be used to assist astronauts during future deep space missions.

According to the information, during the mission, Anil Menon will take part in important research to understand how the human body adapts to the space environment. Researchers will study blood flow, vein structure and blood texture in microgravity. He will also help test the production of intravenous (IV) fluids using the station’s potable water. This is a new technology that can prove to be very important for long missions to the Moon and Mars in the future.

Who is Anil Menon?

Anil Menon is originally Indian. His father is Indian and his mother is a Ukrainian woman. Anil Menon has degrees in Neurobiology, Mechanical Engineering and Medicine. Later he made his career in the field of healthcare and space exploration. Menon is an emergency medicine physician and a colonel in the US Space Force. During his tenure in the US Air Force, he served on the frontline in Afghanistan under ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ and also worked for the Himalayan Rescue Association. Menon, 49, also spent a year in India as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to study and support polio vaccination campaigns.

Menon began his career at NASA as a flight surgeon in 2014 and worked with astronauts living and working on the International Space Station. He joined SpaceX in 2018, where he started the company’s medical program, helping prepare for the first human spaceflight. Let us tell you that NASA had appointed Anil Menon for this mission in July 2025.