Anil Menon Launches on Eight-Month Mission to International Space Station
Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon launched aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from Kazakhstan on Tuesday at 8:17 pm IST. This marks Menon's first spaceflight, alongside Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The spacecraft is set to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) after a three-hour journey. Menon, 49, will support Expeditions 74 and 75, conducting scientific experiments focused on human adaptation to microgravity, including studies on blood flow and vein structure. He will also test a system for producing intravenous fluids from the ISS's water supply and research semiconductor crystal manufacturing in microgravity. The mission is expected to last approximately eight months, concluding with their return to Earth in April 2027. Menon's family and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman attended the launch, which included drawings from Indian schoolchildren as part of its cargo.
Published 1 day ago • 14 Jul 2026, 09:30 PM IST