Dr. Anil Menon has a great working experience with NASA as a flight surgeon. He is now 45. And he is practicing in Emergency Medicine. He is the first Indian to be selected for a NASA mission to the Moon.
Who is Anil Menon?

Anil Menon, MD, is a 45-year-old Indian-origin U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and SpaceX’s first aviation surgeon. Now he is the first Indian to be selected for the prestigious NASA Moon Mission.
Anil Menon was born in Minnesota, United States in 1975. He was raised and educated in USA. He has done graduation in neurobiology from Harvard University in the year of 1999.
And further studied mechanical engineering from Stanford University in California in the year of 2004. Then he got a doctor’s degree from Stanford Medical School.
After few years he came to India for next study in Polio campaign and stayed here for about a year. Anil Menon, MD, Lieutenant Colonel and currently serving in the US Air Force.
Anil Menon Age
Anil Menon was born in the year of 1975. He is now 45 years of age.
Anil Menon Qualification
Anil Menon Qualification |
|
Year |
Studies |
1995 |
Graduate at St. Paul’s Academy and Summit School in St. Paul, Minnesota |
1999 |
Bachelor’s Degree in Neurobiology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. |
2004 |
Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California. |
2006 |
Doctor of Medicine, Stanford Medical School. |
2009 |
Residency in Emergency Medicine, Stanford University. |
2010 |
Fellowship in Wilderness Medicine, Stanford University. |
2012 |
Residency in Aerospace Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. |
2012 |
Master in Public Health, UTMB- Galveston. |
– |
Board certification in aerospace medicine and emergency medicine. |
Anil Menon Family & Wedding
Anil Menon married to Anna Menon who works at SpaceX, and they have two kids.
Anil Menon Work Experience
He has done a great research on Huntington’s disease At Harvard, while he is studying neurobiology.
Then he came to India for one year to study and support polio campaign as a Rotary Ambassador Scholar.
Further he majored in engineering and medicine worked in NASA Ames Research Center, Silicon Valley, California for coding soft tissue models.
At the training period of emergency medicine, he joined Air National Guard and gained experience in wilderness medicine through the support of remote adventure races such as Racing the Planet.
In the year of 2014 Anil Menon started as a NASA flight surgeon.
As a member of the Directorate of Human Health and Performance, he also served as Head of the Medical Division of Health Systems and Direct Return Aircraft Development.
Anil Menon will report on completing two years of basic astronaut training as a NASA astronaut candidate in January 2022.
Anil Menon Awards
Anil has already achieved a lot, but he isn’t done yet; he has his eyes set on the moon and Mars.
Anil Menon Awards Achieved |
John Harvard Scholar. |
Harvard National Scholar. |
Hoops Award for Outstanding and Original Undergraduate thesis. |
Summa cum laude with highest honors for undergraduate thesis. |
173rd Fighter Wing Category V Airmen of the Year, in Aerospace Medicine (UTMB) by William K. |
US Air Force Commendation Medal. |
JSC Group Achievement Award for Expedition 45 Medical Team. |
“Kick-Ass” Award, NASA. |
Stanford Emergency Medicine Residency Bedside Teaching Award. |
National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Grant, Stanford Medical Scholars. |
Theodore Lister Award, SpaceX. |
Stanford Emergency Medicine Resident Award for Procedural Excellence. |
Air Force Voluntary Service Medal. |
Douglas Award. |
Harvard College Dean’s Summer Research Award. |
Rensselaer Medal for Math and Science Achievement. |
Westinghouse Science Talent Search Finalist. |
National Science Foundation Young Scholars Grant. |
Jewett Community Service Award. |
What is Mission to The Moon?
The United States first attempted to reach the Moon using a manned space flight program in 1961. Since then, we’ve made great strides in our ability to explore space, but we’re still a long way from sending humans to the Moon or Mars.
In the early 1960s, NASA’s goal was to send a man to the moon by the end of the decade. But after the failure of the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, NASA realized that it would take longer than expected to reach its goal and shifted its focus to other goals, such as sending astronauts to Mars.
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