NASA astronaut Anil Menon will be the first Indian to go to the International Space Station for the first time in his long career of working as a physician, engineer and astronaut. It is in keeping with NASA's current push to expand scientific research in the orbiting space station and the achievements of Indian-born astronauts all over the world.
Menon, who will join NASA’s 2021 astronaut class, will be a flight engineer on the long-duration mission to the ISS. He will be intimately involved in a variety of scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, maintenance work and work on the ground to support ongoing research in space and on Earth.
His project has piqued the imagination of space fans in India and also in the global Indian diaspora since it is another significant achievement by an Indian-origin astronaut in one of the world's most prestigious space programs.
Anil Menon brings great expertise to NASA's astronaut corps. Before coming to NASA as an astronaut candidate, he had already worked as an emergency medicine physician and aerospace engineer and flight surgeon. His multidisciplinary background makes him well-suited for long-term human spaceflight and science and operation.
Before his selection, Menon had been active in NASA and private space companies. He was a flight surgeon for astronaut health and served as a leading medical officer on commercial crew missions. He developed medical support systems for astronauts and provided safety for crew on the flight and mission.
The International Space Station, about 400 km above Earth, is a microgravity laboratory where astronauts conduct research that is not available in Earth’s gravity. Experiments on the ISS will help medical, biology, physics, materials science, agriculture, robotics, climate monitoring and future exploration in deep space.
As part of his mission, Menon will conduct many experiments to better understand how the human body adapts to long-term exposure to microgravity. Such research is crucial for future astronauts going to the Moon with NASA’s Artemis program and eventually to Mars.
In addition to the research, astronauts on board the ISS also perform routine maintenance, install new equipment, test new technologies, run robotic systems, and help cargo spacecraft on the way to Earth. They also conduct educational outreach programs to encourage young scientists and students in the world to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
Menon's engineering skills will complement his medical background, and he will be able to contribute to many mission objectives. NASA astronauts undergo years of training before they can fly. This must include spacecraft systems, robotics, survival training, spacewalk preparation, scientific research protocols, Russian language instruction, and emergency response procedures.
The mission is an illustration of the growing international nature of human spaceflight. NASA, ESA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and others all collaborate with the ISS. Scientists from numerous fields are working on board the station together to help our planet and our world.
For many aspiring scientists and engineers, Anil Menon's career is a great example of how excellence in different fields can lead to great opportunities. His career is a demonstration that medical knowledge, engineering knowledge, leadership and public service are very much in sync.
Indian astronauts, for all of the years past, have made great contributions to space exploration and inspired a generation of students who are interested in aerospace and scientific research. Menon's coming mission is only one more chapter in the history of space science to add to that legacy.
The research he will do in his time on the ISS will lead to advances in healthcare, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and environmental science. Many discoveries made in microgravity will have applications on Earth: medical treatments, new materials, and advanced technologies.
As the preparations are on track for launch, NASA teams are completing final mission planning, technical reviews and crew readiness preparations.
NASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Anil Menon Launch to Space Station via NASA https://t.co/n4YOobDGc3
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Menon will be on board the International Space Station with his fellow astronauts and will carry out a heavy science- and operational-based workload once aboard the station over several months of experiments and work for them.
What his first spaceflight was for him was a personal accomplishment as well as a first step in our ongoing exploration of space. And as NASA will embark on future space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit with a future in space, astronauts like Anil Menon will play an essential role in bringing scientific discovery and the next generation of explorers into space.
