The Roscosmos spacecraft, carrying Menon, Pyotr Dubrov, and Anna Kikina, lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome at 8:17 PM IST.
Following a two-orbit, three-hour journey, the spacecraft is set to automatically dock at the Prichal module at 11:56 PM IST. This is Menon’s first trip to space and the second for the Russian cosmonauts, as noted by NASA.
Menon’s family, including his astronaut spouse Anna Wilhelm, and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, attended the launch at the Baikonur cosmodrome.
Upon arrival, the three will join 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 for Menon, Dubrov, and Kikina is expected to last around eight months, with a return to Earth planned for April 2027.
NASA states that Menon will “conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations aimed at advancing human space exploration and benefiting life on Earth.”
Born in Minneapolis to Ukrainian and Indian parents, Menon is an emergency medicine physician and a Colonel in the US Space Force. He previously served on the frontlines in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and worked with the Himalayan Rescue Association, assisting climbers on Mount Everest.
Menon’s father, K P Shankaran Menon, is originally from Ottapalam in Kerala’s Palakkad district, while his mother, Elizabeth, emigrated from Ukraine to America.
At 49, Menon has also dedicated a year in India as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, focused on Polio vaccination efforts.
He joined NASA as a flight surgeon in 2014, collaborating with astronauts on the International Space Station. In 2018, he became part of SpaceX, where he initiated the company’s medical program, aided in preparations for their inaugural human spaceflights, and contributed to the development of Starship, a super heavy rocket and spacecraft designed for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Menon was chosen as a NASA astronaut in December 2021, beginning a two-year training program the following month.
His wife, Anna, traveled to space in September 2024 as part of Polaris Dawn, a private crewed spaceflight by SpaceX, lasting nearly five days.
While aboard the ISS, Menon will carry out various experiments to investigate the physiological impacts of long-duration spaceflight and analyze how microgravity influences blood flow, vein structure, and blood composition in astronauts.
Additionally, he will assist in testing technologies for generating intravenous fluids using the station’s potable water system, which could prove crucial during deep-space missions with limited medical supplies.
Menon will pursue research to enhance in-space manufacturing of semiconductor crystals, enabling large-scale production of components necessary for high-performance computers, artificial intelligence, and improved medical devices.
He will also conduct ultrasound studies utilizing augmented reality and AI techniques, potentially reducing the need for Earth-based medical support in future missions.
Also Read: Who is Anil Menon, the Indian-origin NASA astronaut set for his first ISS mission
