NASA Astronaut Anil Menon Launches to International Space Station with Russian Cosmonauts

A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts launched aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on July 14, 2026. Anil Menon lifted off with Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina around 10:47 a.m. ET.

The spacecraft docked with the International Space Station at 1:52 p.m. ET. Menon is making his first spaceflight. Dubrov and Kikina are each on their second flight. The three will join Expedition 75 and remain aboard the station for approximately eight months before returning to Earth in April 2027.

Menon, an emergency medicine doctor selected as a NASA astronaut in December 2021, will conduct research on the production of semiconductor crystals in space and test augmented reality and artificial intelligence tools for medical support. He will also serve as a test subject studying blood flow in space and test bioprinting vascular constructs in microgravity.

During an April news conference, Menon said the mission is a critical stepping stone as NASA sets its sights on building a moon base and, eventually, sending people to Mars.

"I've always thought about these long-duration missions like Mars, it might take three years to get there, or the lunar base where you're actually working on the moon, which would be an opportunity for a lot of people in the future," Menon said.