Anil Menon is an Indian-American astronaut. The ace explorer was born on October 15, 1976 and was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents were Ukrainian and Indian immigrants. Anil had an immense love for space and started his career as a practising emergency medicine physician for the International Medical Corps. However, soon enough, he found out that his calling was beyond the gaze of human eyes, and so, he joined NASA in 2014.
However, little did Anil Menon know that he wouldn’t just find his passion at the space organisation but also the love of his life. Working at NASA was one of the most talented space scientists, Anna Wilhelm (now Menon). She was born in Houston, Texas, on December 24, 1985 and worked as the biomedical flight controller for the International Space Station at NASA at the time. She assisted the ISS crew from NASA’s Johnson Space Centre and led biomedical operations for the space missions. The truly talented young woman soon captured the heart of Anil Menon. So, without any further delay, let’s take a look at everything we know about Anna Menon.
Anna Menon’s education and early career
Anna Menon grew up in Houston, Texas, where she attended Texas Christian University and earned her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Spanish in 2008. Soon after, in 2010, she applied to Duke University and completed her master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. The young space enthusiast was driven by a sense of service, resulting in her contributions to several causes, including the World Health Organisation’s water and sanitation efforts following the 2015 Nepal earthquake. She has also volunteered with Engineers Without Borders and Engineering World Health.
Anna, from a young age, found herself dwelling in the anonymity of space. Her passion for the dark infinity was sparked in the fourth grade by a school field trip to the distinguished space research organisation, NASA. Her teacher, Alison Smith Balch, was the daughter of Challenger pilot Michael J. Smith; hence, she organised the trip for the children. Anna was also a member of the Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Chi Omega sorority at Texas Christian University.
Anna Menon’s career at NASA and SpaceX
Anna Menon is a Lead Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX. She serves as the mission director for the organisation and is actively involved in the Polaris Dawn mission, a private crewed spaceflight that focuses on testing new technologies and performing a commercial spacewalk. However, her journey started as an enthusiastic newbie at NASA. She worked at NASA for seven years, six of which were as the biomedical flight controller leading operations for Expedition 41, including ISS US EVAs 27 and 28.
However, after almost a decade with NASA, she joined SpaceX in 2018 as a Space Operations Engineer and, with her immense grit and knowledge, was promoted to Lead Space Operations Engineer in 2019. She plays a vital role in advancing spaceflight at the organisation, managing the development of crew operations for the Dragon spacecraft, while also serving in mission control as both Mission Director and crew communicator.
Anna has been a key member of the SpaceX team, implementing the Dragon’s crew capabilities. She has also been a pivotal part in creating the Crew Communicator (CORE) role and formulating emergency response protocols for scenarios such as fires and cabin depressurisation. Her mission control experience spans several high-profile missions, including Demo-2, Crew-1, Crew-3, Crew-4, CRS-22, CRS-23, and Axiom-1.
Anna Menon’s marriage to astronaut Anil Menon
Being present at the space centre at all times is a requirement, especially when an operation is in progress. This can often be a hurdle in the employee’s love life. However, Anna turned out to be lucky in the matter as she found the love of her life, Anil Menon, at NASA during a mission. The two bonded over their mutual respect for each other’s careers and soon found solace in each other’s company. As romance blossomed between the two, they decided to tie the knot in 2016. They have since welcomed two beautiful children, James and Grace and are still going strong, supporting each other through every hurdle and challenge that comes their way.
Anna Menon is the author of Kisses From Space
When Anna Menon is not supporting missions or building systems for space, she enjoys life as any other human being. She is big on outdoor activities, including hiking, piloting small aircraft, and salsa dancing. However, family is equally important to the space genius, and she treasures her time with her family. Anna is also an author and has written the book Kisses From Space. Anna and Anil have also appeared in the final episode of the five episode TV documentary Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space, which was released on Netflix in September 2021.
About Anil Menon and his upcoming space expedition
Being a space engineer comes with immense pressure, responsibility and tiring schedules. Amid them, Anil Menon becomes Anna’s biggest support system, supporting her through every difficulty and crisis while balancing their respective careers. While Anna handles the operations, Anil flies through space and is all set to serve as a flight engineer and crew member of Expedition 75 aboard the International Space Station. The mission is scheduled to launch in June 2026 on Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft. He will be accompanied by Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The team will depart from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and spend approximately eight months on the International Space Station.
What are your thoughts on Anna Menon and her journey as a SpaceX engineer and the wife of Anil Menon?
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