Trailblazing Among Stars: NASA Astronaut Anna Menon And Her Indian Connection

NASA’s 2025 astronaut class features a standout name—Anna Menon, a biomedical engineer and seasoned spaceflight professional whose journey to the stars is deeply intertwined with India through her personal life. Menon officially reported for astronaut duty in September 2025, following her record-setting mission aboard SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn in 2024.

 

Born in Houston, Texas, Anna Menon holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Spanish from Texas Christian University and a master’s in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University. Her career spans NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where she supported medical systems aboard the International Space Station, and seven years at SpaceX, where she helped shape crew operations for Dragon and Starship missions.

 

Key highlights from her career and achievements:

 

- Served as mission specialist and medical officer on Polaris Dawn, completing nearly 40 research experiments  

- Set the record for highest altitude ever reached by a woman astronaut  

- Participated in the first commercial spacewalk  

- Held key roles as mission director and crew communicator for SpaceX’s Demo-2 and other flights  

- Completed parachute training with the US Air Force Academy and is an avid scuba diver  

 

Her India connection comes through her husband, Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut of Indian and Ukrainian heritage. Anil was selected for NASA’s 2021 class and served as flight surgeon for SpaceX’s first human mission. He is scheduled to fly aboard Soyuz MS-29 in 2026 as part of Expedition 75. Together, the Menons represent a rare astronaut couple, balancing space exploration with family life and community service.

 

Sources: MSN News, Indian Express, Gulf News, India-West News Desk.