NASA's 1st Malayali astronaut Anil Menon launches to ISS

Technology Jul 15, 2026

Anil Menon, NASA's first Malayali astronaut, just launched into space for his debut mission aboard the International Space Station.

He took off on July 14 with Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, blasting off from Kazakhstan and docking with the ISS just a few hours later.

Eight-month research mission on ISS

Menon and his crew will spend eight months running experiments on human health, testing new medical technology, and even looking at how semiconductors are made in space, all to help push science forward both in orbit and back home.

Physician and former NASA flight surgeon

Born in Minneapolis to a Kerala dad and Ukrainian mom, Menon is a doctor who has worked everywhere from Afghanistan to Mount Everest.

Before becoming an astronaut in 2021, he was a flight surgeon at NASA and helped build SpaceX's medical program.