Anil Menon is not your ordinary doctor. He has been a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force, an emergency medicine physician, and a NASA astronaut candidate. He has served as a flight surgeon for both NASA and SpaceX, and has been involved in several humanitarian missions around the world. He is also a pilot, a certified flight instructor, and an endurance athlete. He is one of the 10 people selected by NASA to join the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class, out of more than 12,000 applicants.
Menon was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to a Ukrainian mother and an Indian father. He developed an interest in science and engineering at an early age, and pursued his education at Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Going on to study neurobiology, mechanical engineering, medicine, and public health, he obtained board certification in aerospace medicine and emergency medicine.
His prolific record shows a myriad of achievements: He joined the California Air National Guard during his residency training in emergency medicine, and deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. He also worked for the Himalayan Rescue Association to care for climbers on Mount Everest, and was a first responder during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, and the 2011 Reno Air Show accident.
In 2014, he started his career at NASA as a crew flight surgeon, supporting various expeditions on the International Space Station. He was also a member of the Human Health and Performance Directorate at NASA, where he worked on the health maintenance system and the direct return aircraft. In 2018, he joined SpaceX as its first flight surgeon, helping to launch the company’s first humans to space during the Demo-2 mission and building a medical organization to support the human system during future missions. He was also the lead flight surgeon for five launches, and helped launch a research program and develop the Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket built yet.Then came the pinnacle of his career, in December 2021, he was selected by NASA to join the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class, along with nine other individuals from diverse backgrounds and fields. He reported for duty in January 2022, and underwent two years of rigorous training, which included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. He graduated in January 2024, and is now eligible for assignment to future missions, including the Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, and eventually send humans to Mars.
Menon is married to Anna Menon, who works at SpaceX, and they have two children. He enjoys teaching general aviation as a certified flight instructor, and has logged over 1,000 hours as a pilot. He also enjoys endurance races such as Ironman and Kokoro, and backpacking with his family.Menon is an inspiration for many aspiring astronauts, especially those of Indian origin. He is a testament to the power of curiosity, passion, and hard work, and a role model for the next generation of explorers and innovators.
