THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Dr Anil Menon, who was chosen by NASA recently to be an astronaut in its future space missions, said India could partner the US in such missions in future. Chosen from around 12,000 candidates, Menon, who has his roots in Kerala, will start training in January. He said NASA intends to go for a major moon mission in 2025 when it plans to send a man and a woman there.
A flight surgeon with the US Air Force, Menon is excited to be one among the 10 trainee astronauts in NASA’s mission. He will report on January 10, 2022 for NASA’s 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class. “Since I love space medicine, I’m excited to find out how the body changes in space. I would like to study about it and bring it back to the community, so I can share the knowledge with others,” Menon told TNIE during an interview over telephone from Colarado.
NASA aims to launch its ‘uncrewed’ lunar mission Artemis-I in February next year, said Menon. The focus will be on the 2025 mission. “This time, we are also going to be staying there for long. That is the added challenge and we are gearing up for the same,” said Menon, who added the next step would be Mars.
Excerpts.
Your thoughts on being part of the NASA programme.
It’s quite an exciting journey that I have been on. I will be joining the class on January 10. We will spend two years in training, which includes learning language, use of robotic arms, flying T38 jets, doing EVA (extra vehicular activities) at the ISS (International Space Station) and practising spacewalks. In these two years, we train with people from different walks of life, culture and professions.
What exactly does NASA’s astronaut programmes entail?
I will be joining as a NASA astronaut candidate. The programme focuses on reporting to the ISS, doing research, and using that to put a footprint on the moon, to stay there on a sustained basis, and then go on to Mars. We will be building technologies that can do the same. NASA programmes inspire people. I went into medicine because of NASA. As a young kid of six years, I felt it’s amazing that people go into space.
Take us through the selection process.
The actual process had started more than a year ago, but got delayed due to Covid. About 12,000 people had applied. After the initial rounds of screening, two rounds of interview and a medical examination, they zeroed in on ten candidates, of which I am one.
You are a neurobiologist, with degrees in both medicine and engineering, and have been the lead flight surgeon for several launches.
I have always loved medicine, as it involves helping people. I wanted to make a positive impact in the community around me. Spending time in New Delhi for a year as part of polio vaccine campaigns helped me ponder over how else I could contribute to society. At medical school, I realised that I could be part of both emergency and space medicines at the same time. NASA has doctors who take care of astronauts in space. That’s what I wanted to do. Such doctors are called space surgeons.
You were SpaceX’s flight surgeon.
SpaceX had partnered with NASA for their commercial crew programme. They needed doctors on their side to help with the first launch. As SpaceX’s flight surgeon, my job was to ensure safety of NASA astronauts.
What’s your take on ISRO’s contribution to space missions?
The ISS is really built on partnership by different countries. A momentous undertaking that brings people together. As an astronaut candidate, I’m excited to see India push forward in the space. I expect there’s potential for other partnerships too in future. Countries that were not partners earlier have recently signed up for the Artemis programme.
Would you be part of the main operations or continue to play more of a medico-engineering role?
One’s role is largely that of an astronaut. Some of us do have specialities, but the primary role focuses on research in space on ISS. Since I love space medicine, I am excited to find out how the body changes in space. I would like to study about it and bring it back to the community, so I can share the knowledge with others.
The first man landed on the moon in 1969. What’s taking it so long to send a second man to the moon?
We are not thinking only about sending another man. This time around, it’s going to be about sending both a man and a woman. This time, we are also going to be staying there for long. That is the added challenge and we are gearing up for the same.
Tell us about your roots in Kerala.
My father hails from Ottappalam. My grandmother Kalyani now lives in Delhi and will turn 100 in April. The great grandfather was a lawyer by the name Sankaran Nair who was the Viceroy’s counsel at one point, when Kerala was part of Madras. I don’t have any direct relatives currently in Kerala. My wife and I had visited Kerala about three years ago. We travelled around Kochi, Alappuzha and Malabar.
She learnt to count till 10 in Malayalam. It was fun. People loved it, when she tried to say ‘Onnu, Randu’. Kerala has an inviting warm community. It was quite an experience.
Where are your parents based now?
My father Sankaran Menon alias KPS Menon is in New Delhi. My mother, Elizabeth, was an immigrant from Ukraine and is currently based in the US. My dad came here (US) to do his PhD, and later returned to India.