NASA picks up Indian-origin Anil Menon for mission to Moon and Mars

US space agency NASA has introduced 10 astronaut candidates for its missions to the Moon and Mars, and the team includes Anil Menon, a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force and SpaceX’s first flight surgeon.

Menon is part of the 2021 astronaut class, the first in four years, which has six men and four women, who were introduced to the world by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The 10 candidates have been selected out of 12,000 applicants for the coveted job. The candidates will go through rigorous training before being inducted into missions that range from research onboard the International Space Station to landing on Moon and Mars.

Born to Ukrainian and Indian immigrants, Menon helped launch SpaceX’s first humans to space during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission.

He finished his bachelor’s in neurobiology from Harvard University in 1999 and then went on to get a master’s degree in  mechanical engineering from Stanford University in 2004. In 2009, he graduated with a Doctor of Medicine from Stanford Medical School.

Menon has also spent a year in India as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to study and support polio vaccination. He joined California Air National Guard and gained experience in wilderness medicine through support for remote adventure races like Racing The Planet.