NASA astronaut Anil Menon has launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft alongside Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The mission lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 14 July and successfully docked with the ISS a few hours later.
The trio will spend approximately eight months aboard the orbital outpost, joining the existing Expedition 74 crew before returning to Earth in April 2027.
During his first spaceflight, Menon, an emergency medicine physician, will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations, including studies on semiconductor crystal production, artificial intelligence and augmented reality for medical support, blood flow in microgravity, and bioprinting. The research is expected to support future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars while also benefiting medical science on Earth.