Indian-origin NASA astronaut Dr Anil Menon, 49, has safely reached the International Space Station (ISS), marking the start of his first space mission.
As part of the regular crew rotation to the orbiting laboratory, Russia launched the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Menon travelled alongside Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina.
NASA said Menon will spend about eight months aboard the ISS, carrying out a range of technical and medical research. A key focus of his work will be studying how long-duration spaceflight affects the human body, including impacts on blood circulation and nerves, using his own body as part of the research.
He will also examine the feasibility of astronauts conducting necessary medical tests during long-distance missions without support from Earth. In addition, he is expected to take part in experiments on producing semiconductors needed for artificial intelligence and advanced medical devices in the microgravity environment of space.
The mission is part of ongoing international efforts to understand human health in space and to develop technologies that could support future deep-space travel.
