Who is Anil Menon: Indian-origin Nasa astronaut candidate

Began as a Nasa flight surgeon

This is, however, not his first brush with outer-space, as Dr Menon has served with Nasa as well as SpaceX for multiple outer space programmes.

In 2014, Dr Menon started his position at Nasa as a flight surgeon. He served as the Deputy Crew Surgeon for Nasa’s Soyuz 39 and Soyuz 43 missions, and the Prime Crew Surgeon for the Soyuz 52 mission to the International Space Station. Dr Menon was also a member of the Human Health and Performance Directorate at Nasa, as a part of which he worked as the medical lead for the health maintenance system as well as helped develop the direct return aircraft.

Four years later, in 2018, Dr Menon joined Elon Musk-owned aerospace company SpaceX, where he initiated its first medical programme while assisting in launching SpaceX’s first crewed test flight to the International Space Station on the Demo-2 mission. He was later appointed as SpaceX’s Medical Director.

During his time with SpaceX, Dr Menon also served as the lead flight surgeon for five launches, helped launch a research programme, and aided in developing the Starship, claimed to be the largest and most powerful rocket built yet. “A crew flight surgeon is a doctor that takes care of astronauts in space travel,” Dr Menon had explained in an interview with the Indian Express in December 2021. “When there, I talk to them just like how I am talking to you now via video call. They are in space and I am on the ground. If they experience stomach pain or get a rash, they don’t have a doctor around. And I help out?.

Stint in the US Air Force

As a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force, Dr Menon served as a flight surgeon for the 45th Space Wing, where he also oversaw medical launches and landings. Previously, he had been with the 173rd Fight Wing where he worked as a part of the critical care transport team; transporting over 100 patients to medical aid and piloting over 100 sorties.

Additionally, he has logged over 1,000 hours as a pilot and is a certified flight instructor who often teaches general aviation.

During the course of his medical career, Dr Menon was also one of the first responders during the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the Nepal 2015 earthquake, as well as the Reno Air Show accident in 2011. Moreover, he spent a year in India as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, during which time he studied and supported Polio vaccination in the country. He also enjoys several accolades, including the Harvard College Dean’s Summer Research Award.