Washington, 10 July (H.S.):

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon is scheduled to launch on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 14 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Menon, 49, will embark on his first spaceflight, according to a NASA statement released on July 9.

According to the NASA statement, Menon was born in Minneapolis to Ukrainian and Indian immigrant parents. He is an emergency medicine physician and serves as a Colonel in the United States Space Force.

NASA said that Menon will travel aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The three crew members will join the Expedition 74 crew aboard the International Space Station, where they will carry out scientific research and technology demonstrations.

The launch is scheduled for 10:47 a.m. North American time (7:47 p.m. Baikonur time). NASA stated that live coverage of the launch will be available on NASA platforms, Amazon Prime and NASA's official YouTube channel. The agency also noted that the schedule remains subject to change.

Menon, Dubrov and Kikina are expected to spend approximately eight months aboard the orbital laboratory as members of the Expedition 74/75 crew before returning to Earth in April 2027. The mission will mark Menon's first journey into space, while it will be the second spaceflight for both Dubrov and Kikina.

During his stay aboard the International Space Station, Menon will conduct a range of scientific experiments, including research into the physiological effects of prolonged spaceflight on the human body and other investigations aimed at advancing scientific knowledge and supporting future long-duration space missions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar