Dr. Anil Menon Embarks on Historic Space Mission, Set to Become First Malayali in Space

Baikonur (Kazakhstan): Bringing immense pride to the global Malayali community, Indian-American astronaut Dr. Anil Menon has officially embarked on his journey to the International Space Station (ISS). With this mission, he is on course to make history as the first person of Malayali descent to travel into space. The initial phase of the launch, executed via the Russian-made Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, was reported to be completely successful.

The spacecraft blasted off from the historic

Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Dr. Menon is representing the United States' space agency, NASA, on this mission. He is accompanied by two Russian cosmonauts, Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, making it a collaborative three-member crew.

Flight Timeline and Mission Objectives
​The crew is traveling aboard the Soyuz 2.1A launch vehicle. The entire journey to the space station is highly optimized, expected to take just 3 hours and 9 minutes. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS tonight at 11:26 PM. Following standard pressure checks and procedures, Dr. Menon and his fellow crew members will open the hatches and enter the space station two hours later, at 1:26 AM.

.@NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off atop the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft at 10:47 a.m. EDT today for a 1:56 p.m. docking to the International Space Station. More... https://t.co/OgfE3jFh0Y pic.twitter.com/D0IWMdUbZP

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) July 14, 2026

This mission marks the beginning of a long-term residency in space. The three-member team is scheduled to spend eight months aboard the ISS, during which they will execute and complete more than 100 scientific experiments and advanced research projects.

Distinguished Career and Kerala Roots

Dr. Anil Menon boasts an extraordinary professional background, holding degrees in both medicine and engineering. He first joined NASA in 2014 as a flight surgeon, later transitioning to work with SpaceX, where he helped manage medical responses for their initial crewed launches. NASA officially selected him for its elite astronaut training program in 2021. In addition to his astronaut credentials, he holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Space Force.
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Though born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dr. Menon shares a deep connection to Kerala. His father, Sankaran Menon, is a native of Ottapalam in the Palakkad district of Kerala, while his mother, Elizabeth, hails from Ukraine.

ശബരിമല: ഭക്തര്‍ ദര്‍ശന സമയത്തില്‍ മാറ്റം വരുത്തണമെന്ന് ദേവസ്വം ബോര്‍ഡ്

തീവ്ര മഴയെ തുടര്‍ന്ന് പമ്പാ നദിയില്‍ വെള്ളപൊക്കം ഉണ്ടായ പശ്ചാത്തലത്തില്‍ നിറപുത്തരി ചടങ്ങുകള്‍ക്ക് ശബരിമല നട തുറക്കുന്ന ഓഗസ്റ്റ് 2, 3 തീയതികളില്‍ ശബരിമല ദര്‍ശനം നടത്താന്‍ തീരുമാനിച്ചിട്ടുള്ള ഭക്തര്‍ കഴിവതും യാത്ര ഒഴിവാക്കണമെന്ന് തിരുവിതാംകൂര്‍ ദേവസ്വം ബോര്‍ഡ് അറിയിച്ചു. 

ഓഗസ്റ്റ് മാസത്തില്‍ തന്നെ ചിങ്ങമാസ പൂജകള്‍ക്കായും (ഓഗസ്റ്റ് 16 മുതല്‍ 21 വരെയും) ഓണത്തോട് അനുബന്ധിച്ച പൂജകള്‍ക്കായും (ഓഗസ്റ്റ് 24 മുതല്‍ 28 വരെയും) ശബരിമല നട തുറക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. ഇത് ദര്‍ശനത്തിനായി ഭക്തര്‍ക്ക് തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കാവുന്നതാണെന്നും ബോര്‍ഡ് പറഞ്ഞു. കനത്ത  മഴ തുടരുന്നതിനാലും മണ്ണിടിച്ചില്‍ സാധ്യതയുള്ളതിനാലുമാണ് തിരുവിതാംകൂര്‍ ദേവസ്വം ബോര്‍ഡ് ഭക്തരോട് ഇത്തരത്തില്‍ ഒരു അഭ്യര്‍ത്ഥന നടത്തിയത്.

English Summary: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has requested devotees to avoid visiting the Sabarimala temple on August 2 and 3 during the Niraputhari rituals, following severe flooding in the Pamba River caused by heavy rainfall.