BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan (Diya TV) — Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut of Indian heritage, reached the International Space Station early Wednesday after launching aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft. The mission marks his first journey to space and starts an eight-month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. His work will focus on science, technology, and medical research that could support future missions beyond Earth.

The Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 8:17 p.m. IST on Tuesday. Menon traveled with Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. After a smooth two-orbit journey lasting about three hours, the spacecraft docked with the International Space Station, where the crew joined astronauts and cosmonauts already living and working in orbit.

The mission is a major milestone for Menon. It is his first spaceflight since NASA selected him as an astronaut in 2021. Meanwhile, it is the second space mission for both Dubrov and Kikina. The crew plans to remain aboard the space station for about eight months before returning to Earth in April 2027.

Menon’s family attended the launch in Kazakhstan. His wife, astronaut Anna Wilhelm, watched the liftoff alongside NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. Their presence highlighted the personal importance of the mission as Menon began his first journey into space.

Once aboard the station, the new crew joined NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, and Chris Williams. They also joined European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev, and Andrey Fedyaev. Together, the international team will carry out research, maintain station systems, and support daily operations.

NASA said Menon will conduct scientific research and test new technologies during his stay. His work will study how long periods in microgravity affect the human body. Scientists hope those findings will improve astronaut health during future missions to the Moon, Mars and other deep-space destinations.

In addition, Menon will examine changes in blood flow, vein structure,e and blood composition during extended space travel. He will also help test a system that creates intravenous fluids by using the station’s drinking water. That technology could become valuable during long missions because astronauts cannot easily replace medical supplies far from Earth.

Furthermore, Menon will support research on producing semiconductor crystals in space. Researchers believe the microgravity environment can improve crystal quality for high-performance computing, artificial intelligence,e and advanced medical devices. The mission will also include ultrasound studies that combine augmented reality with artificial intelligence. Those tools could help astronauts perform medical exams with less support from doctors on Earth.

Menon brings a wide range of experience to the mission. He was born in Minneapolis to Ukrainian and Indian immigrant parents. His father, K.P. Shankaran Menon, comes from Ottapalam in Kerala’s Palakkad district. His mother, Elizabeth, moved from Ukraine to the United States.

Before joining NASA, Menon built a career in medicine and military service. He is an emergency medicine physician and a colonel in the U.S. Space Force. Earlier in his career, he served with the U.S. Air Force and deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. He also volunteered with the Himalayan Rescue Association, where he treated climbers on Mount Everest.

Menon also shares a strong connection with India. As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, he spent a year supporting polio vaccination efforts across the country. Later, he joined NASA in 2014 as a flight surgeon. He worked closely with astronauts aboard the International Space Station and helped support human spaceflight operations.

In 2018, Menon joined SpaceX, where he created the company’s medical program. He also helped prepare the first human spaceflights under the company’s commercial program and contributed to the development of Starship, the spacecraft designed for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

The Soyuz MS-29 mission also carried a symbol of international friendship. According to Russian officials, the spacecraft transported drawings created by Indian schoolchildren. The artwork came from winners of the “First Forever” competition, which celebrated the 65th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight and honored space cooperation between India and Russia.