Meet Anil Menon: Indian-origin Nasa astronaut set to liftoff on first 8-month ISS mission today; here’s what he will do in space

The International Space Station is about to welcome a new crew as Nasa astronaut Anil Menon prepares for his first journey into orbit. The mission is scheduled to lift off today, that is, 14 July 2026, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, carrying Menon alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. After reaching orbit, the spacecraft is expected to complete a fast rendezvous with the station and dock a little over three hours after launch, at which point the trio will become part of the long-duration Expedition 74 and 75 crews. The mission marks an important milestone in Menon's career and reflects the continuing cooperation between international space agencies aboard the orbiting laboratory. During their time in space, the crew will live and work in a unique microgravity environment while helping maintain station operations and conducting experiments.Reportedly, their stay is expected to last around 8 months, during which they will support a wide range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations aimed at improving future human spaceflight while also contributing to research with practical uses on Earth. For Anil Menon, this mission marks the beginning of his career as a space traveller after years spent working in medicine, aerospace and military service.The 49-year-old was born in Minneapolis to parents of Indian and Ukrainian heritage. Before joining Nasa's astronaut corps, he built a varied career that combined emergency medicine with operational experience in demanding environments. As a physician, he treated patients both in hospitals and in remote mountain regions through the Himalayan Rescue Association, where he cared for climbers in the Everest region.His military background includes service as a colonel in the US Space Force, while earlier assignments with the US Air Force saw him deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Those experiences, spanning clinical medicine, aviation and extreme environments, eventually led him towards astronaut training.The Soyuz MS-29 mission marks Menon's first journey into space. During his eight-month stay aboard the International Space Station, he will help conduct experiments on semiconductor manufacturing, space medicine, blood circulation in microgravity and bioprinting technologies, while contributing to the station's day-to-day scientific operations.The Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft is scheduled to launch from Baikonur at 10:47 am. EDT, corresponding to 8:17 pm. Indian Standard Time.Joining Menon are Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, who returns for his second spaceflight, and Anna Kikina, also making her second journey into orbit. Menon is the only first-time space traveller among the three.The spacecraft will follow a two-orbit profile before automatically docking with the station's Prichal module roughly three hours after launch. Once pressure checks and safety procedures are complete, the hatches between Soyuz and the station will open, allowing the crew to enter their new home in orbit. After arrival, the incoming astronauts will become part of the International Space Station's resident expedition team.As reported by Nasa, they will join Nasa astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, together with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev and Andrey Fedyaev.Crew numbers aboard the station regularly change as spacecraft arrive and depart, ensuring scientific work continues without interruption throughout the year.Much of Menon's time in orbit will be devoted to scientific investigations that depend on the microgravity environment of the space station.One project will examine improved methods for producing semiconductor crystals in space. Scientists hope the work will support future manufacturing techniques for advanced electronic components used in areas such as high-performance computing, artificial intelligence systems and medical technology.He is also expected to take part in studies using ultrasound supported by augmented reality and artificial intelligence. The aim is to make medical imaging easier for astronauts operating far from Earth, reducing reliance on specialists located on the ground during future deep-space missions.Another investigation will examine how blood circulates in weightlessness. Understanding these changes is considered important for protecting astronauts during long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit.Menon will also participate in experiments involving the bioprinting of vascular tissue in microgravity. Researchers are studying whether this environment can improve understanding of ageing and eventually contribute to future therapeutic research.