SpaceX flight surgeon, NASA astronaut: Inside the ISS crew launching from Baikonur

Today, July 14, at 8:48 p.m. Astana time, a Soyuz-2.1a rocket carrying the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with a unique crew member from the U.S. on board.

From Mount Everest and SpaceX to the Soyuz mission

The third member of the International Space Station Expedition 75 crew is 49-year-old NASA flight engineer Anil Menon, an active U.S. Space Force colonel. Previously, he served in Afghanistan as a U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, overseeing critical care air transport and provided medical care to climbers on Mount Everest.

In 2018, he became SpaceX’s first flight surgeon. Menon built SpaceX’s medical program from the ground up, helped prepare the first crewed Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station and participated in the development of the Starship.

The eight-month expedition marks Menon’s first spaceflight. He will be joined by experienced Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, the mission commander, and Anna Kikina.

Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle

The Russian Soyuz-2.1a is a medium-lift, three-stage launch vehicle that will carry the international crew into orbit. Its key feature is a fully Russian-developed digital control and navigation system.

The rocket is powered by environmentally friendly and proven propellants — liquid oxygen and kerosene. The Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle will lift the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft carrying the international crew and 100 kilograms of cargo, including equipment for 38 scientific experiments.

A live broadcast of prelaunch operations at the Baikonur Cosmodrome will begin at 7:20 p.m. Astana time on Roscosmos’ official platforms.