Anil Menon ISS mission: Indian-origin Nasa astronaut launches on Soyuz MS-29
Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon is set to embark on his first journey to space on Tuesday, July 15 (IST), beginning an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) dedicated to advancing scientific research that could shape the future of human spaceflight and improve healthcare on Earth.
Menon will lift off aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:17 pm IST, alongside Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina.
After a two-orbit journey lasting approximately three hours, Soyuz MS-29 is scheduled to dock automatically with the ISS’s Prichal module at 11:26 pm IST, after which the crew will join the orbiting laboratory as members of Expedition 74/75.
WHAT WILL ANIL MENON DO IN SPACE FOR EIGHT MONTHS?
Once aboard, Menon will work alongside NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, and Chris Williams, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev, and Andrey Fedyaev.
The mission marks a significant milestone in Menon’s career, as it is his first spaceflight, while it will be the second mission for both Dubrov and Kikina.
The trio is expected to remain aboard the ISS until April 2027, spending nearly eight months conducting cutting-edge research in the microgravity environment.
During the mission, Menon will lead and participate in several experiments designed to support future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars while also producing benefits for people on Earth.
Among the key investigations is research to improve the manufacturing of semiconductor crystals in space, a process that could enable the production of more efficient components for high-performance computing, artificial intelligence systems, and advanced medical devices.
He will also conduct ultrasound examinations using augmented reality and artificial intelligence, technologies that could allow astronauts to diagnose and treat medical conditions independently during future deep-space missions where communication with Earth is delayed.
Menon will serve as a research participant in studies examining how blood flow changes in microgravity, helping scientists better understand cardiovascular adaptations in space and develop measures to protect astronauts during extended missions.
Another experiment will involve bioprinting vascular tissue structures in microgravity to study the aging process and improve the development of future regenerative therapies.
A physician, engineer and former SpaceX flight surgeon, Menon was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021.
His debut mission comes at a time when international cooperation aboard the ISS remains central to advancing scientific discovery and preparing humanity for the next era of exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
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