The Indian-American NASA astronaut will launch aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft to the International Space Station.
HOUSTON, Texas – July 15, 2026: Indian-American astronaut Anil Menon is scheduled to journey into space aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, positioning him to become the first person of Malayali heritage to reach Earth’s orbit. The historic mission will transport the NASA-selected astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) for an extended research deployment.
Anil Menon, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and a highly trained emergency medicine physician, was selected by NASA in late 2021 as part of its elite Astronaut Candidate Class. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to a Ukrainian mother and a Malayali father hailing from Kerala, India, Menon’s upcoming flight marks a momentous milestone for the global Indian and Keralite diaspora.
The deployment will utilize the Russian Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 capsule as part of ongoing international crew exchange arrangements. Menon will serve as a mission specialist, bringing extensive aerospace medical expertise to the long-duration expedition on the orbital outpost.
Prior to his astronaut selection, Menon served as SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, managing medical protocols during the company’s inaugural crewed flights under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. He also has a distinguished military background, having served as a crew commander during critical humanitarian assistance operations, including the 2015 earthquake response in Nepal.
The milestone places Menon in an elite group of astronauts of Indian origin, following in the footsteps of pioneers like Rakesh Sharma, Kalpana Chawla, and Sunita Williams. His upcoming mission underscores the growing prominence of the Indian diaspora in cutting-edge global space exploration initiatives.
