Indian-origin NASA astronaut candidate Dr Anil Menon set to join training in January 2022: His journey so far and his love for Kerala

He mentioned that he was excited, overjoyed and comfortable to get the chance. (Picture: Twitter/US Embassy India)

NASA’s Indian-origin astronaut candidate Dr Anil Menon: New recruits for NASA’s 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class are set to report for obligation in January 2022, and amongst them is the Indian-origin candidate Dr Anil Menon. Dr Menon, SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, could be receiving coaching for future missions of NASA together with different new recruits, based on a report in IE. Dr Menon, who was born in addition to raised within the US’ Minnesota, was born to immigrants from Ukraine and India, and he went on to get a Bachelor’s in Neurobiology in addition to a Grasp’s in Mechanical Engineering. He did his Physician of Medication first in Emergency Medication after which in Aerospace Engineering. In 2014, Dr Menon began serving as flight surgeon with NASA after which, he went to SpaceX as lead flight surgeon in 2018.

In an interplay with IE, Dr Menon mentioned that his choice amongst new astronaut candidates from greater than 12,000 candidates got here as a giant shock to him as there have been 10 jobs and quite a lot of certified folks had utilized. He added that he was excited, overjoyed and comfortable to get the chance.

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Talking about finding out each medication and engineering, the aerospace medication physician mentioned that he believes it’s good to mix engineering with another science when working within the area sector. He shared that whereas engaged on the Dragon spacecraft, there have been many engineering questions that additionally require approaches from a medical angle.

He additionally shared that whereas serving because the crew flight surgeon for astronauts on the Worldwide House Station, he used to handle astronauts whereas they had been enterprise area journey. The session used to occur nearly with Dr Menon being on the bottom and astronauts being in area. This was as a result of if any astronaut had been to get sick, they didn’t have a physician round and so wanted somebody on the bottom to succeed in out to. Dr Menon added that if sustainable life on the Moon or Mars is to be explored, many extra docs like him are wanted, and subsequently, aerospace medication is an increasing area.

He shared that he was the primary flight surgeon at SpaceX, and there, he used to handle the astronauts throughout the launch. He additionally was once the primary individual to get the astronauts into the capsule and pull them out of it.

He shared that his father is from the Malabar area and he feels comfortable when he hears astronauts say that in area, Indian meals is their favorite attributable to it being spicier. In area, the style of the meals modifications, Dr Menon added. He additional mentioned that Kerala is particular to him attributable to folks being so welcoming. He additionally mentioned that as a result of he hung out in India, he looks like that set him up for his function as a possible astronaut attributable to its variety and multiculturalism.