NASA selects Indian-origin physician Anil Menon as one of astronauts for future missions

Indian-origin physician, Anil Menon has been selected by NASA along with nine others to be astronauts for future missions, the American space agency has announced.

45 years old Menon, a lieutenant colonel at the US Air Force,   was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch the company’s first humans to space during Nasa’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission.

In a statement, Nasa announced that it has chosen 10 new astronaut candidates from a field of more than 12,000 applicants to represent the US and work for humanity’s benefit in space.

Menon previously served Nasa as the crew flight surgeon for various expeditions taking astronauts to the International Space Station.

Earlier, aeronautical engineer Sirisha Bandla in July became the third Indian-origin woman to fly into space after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams.

Till now, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma is the only Indian citizen to travel in space. The former Indian Air Force pilot flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on April 3, 1984, part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme.