Anil Menon is an Indian-born SpaceX medical director who was selected by NASA in December 2021 as one of the astronauts for future missions. On December 17, 2021, NASA selected a team of 10 astronauts based on interviews, aptitude tests, and physical examinations. Anil also served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force.
Wiki/Biography
Anil Menon was born in 1976 in Minneapolis, Minnesota (45 years old in 2021). In 1995, he completed his studies at St. Paul’s College and Summit School. In 1999, he received his bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from Harvard University. In 2001, Anil was awarded the title of Rotary Ambassador Fellow in Medicine and Malayalam by Jawaharlal Nehru University. In 2003, he went to Stanford University to pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. In 2006, he received his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from Stanford University School of Medicine. In 2009, he earned his emergency medicine residency certificate at Kaiser Hospital Stanford. In 2010, he was awarded the Stanford University Wilderness Medicine Fellowship. In 2011, he went to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston to pursue a master’s degree in public health. In 2012, he received an Aerospace Medicine Fellowship in Aerospace Physiology and Medicine at the University of Texas.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′11″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
His father’s name is Shunkaran Menon.
Anil Menon and his father
His mother’s name is Lisa Samoylenko.
Anil Menon and his mother
His father-in-law’s name was Chandler William.
Anil Menon’s wife Anna and her father
His mother-in-law’s name was Laura William.
Anil Menon’s wife Anna and her mother
wife and children
Anil Menon married Anna Wilhelm on October 15, 2016 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5501 Main St at Houston, TX 77004. Anna Wilhelm is Chief Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX.
Anil Menon on his wedding day
The couple has two children.
Anil Menon’s children
Relationships/Affairs
He was romantically involved with Anna Wilhelm before marrying her.
Anil Menon and girlfriend Anna Wilhelm
Profession
engineer
Anil Menon joined the Department of Neurology at Harvard University as a researcher in June 1997. He then began working as an engineer at the BioVis Technology Center in Mountain View, California, in 2001. From 2009 to 2011, he began working as an emergency medicine physician at regional hospitals in Los Angeles, California. In October 2011, Anil started working as an emergency department physician. Flight Surgeon, Wyer Integrated Science and Engineering Group, Houston, Texas. Anil joined NASA – the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Houston, Texas in 2014 as a Flight Surgeon. In 2018, Anil began working as the Medical Director at SpaceX in the greater Los Angeles area. Anil helped launch SpaceX’s first manned flight and participated in the development of Starship and participated in the private astronaut program. In 2020, at SpaceX, Anil helped Elon Musk launch the Demo-2 mission (a future mission to send humans into space) and provided assistance to the company’s medical organization. On December 17, 2021, Anil Menon was selected by NASA as one of the candidates for future missions out of a total of 10 astronauts.
U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel
In 2008, Anil enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served part-time as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve at Patrick Air Force Base.
activity doctor
Anil Menon has joined the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a game physician since January 2019.
voluntary work
Anil volunteered in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, in the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, and as a doctor with the International Medical Corps disaster and humanitarian relief efforts. Anil volunteered for the 2011 Reno Air Show incident, where he flew more than 100 sorties and transported more than 100 patients. Anil was involved in the polio vaccination campaign in India for a year while serving as a Rotary Ambassador Scholar.
Licenses and Certifications
Anil Menon’s licenses and certifications include Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, Board Certification in Emergency Medicine, Board Certification in Aerospace Medicine, Aviation Medical Examiner, and National Medical License.
Awards
- SpaceX “Kick-Ass” Award
- Expedition Medical Team 45 wins NASA JSC Group Achievement Award
- U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal
- 173rd Fighter Wing Category V Pilot of the Year
- William Douglas Aerospace Medicine Award (UTMB)
- Air Force Volunteer Service Medal
- Stanford Emergency Medicine Residency Procedural Excellence Award
- Stanford Emergency Medicine Residency Bedside Teaching Award
- Funded by the National Alliance of University Inventors and Innovators
- Stanford University medical scholar
- Hoopes Award for Outstanding Original Undergraduate Thesis
- Undergraduate thesis won the highest honor Summa cum laude
- John Harvard Scholar, Harvard National Scholar
- Harvard University Dean’s Summer Research Award
- Jewett Community Service Award
- Westinghouse Scientific Talent Search Finalists
- Rensselaer Medal of Achievement in Mathematics and Science
- National Science Foundation Young Scholar Grant
Facts/Trivia
- His name is also Anil Samoilenko Menon.
- Anil Menon was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His father is an Indian immigrant and his mother is a Ukrainian immigrant. In India, Anil’s family belongs to Ottaparam. Anil Menon’s mother lives in the United States, and his father and grandmother live in New Delhi, India. Sankaran Nair was the great-grandfather of Anil Menon, who was counsel to the Governor-General’s Council of Kerala when the state was part of Madras.
- Anil was one of the flight commanders on the Operation Enduring Freedom mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. He was also a member of the Everest climber rescue team of the Himalayan Rescue Association.
- Several articles in the field of science were drafted by Anil Menon. He frequently gives general aviation lectures as a U.S. Certified Flight Instructor.
- In his free time, Anil Menon enjoys exploring endurance races such as Ironman and Kokoro.
- Anil met his wife, Anna, at a friend’s party in 2013, where they danced to Carly Rae Jepsen’s song “Call Me Maybe.” Anil put his arm around Anna while talking to media persons, which surprised Anna for a moment.
Anil Menon and Anna Menon on SpaceX mission
At the time, they were working together at NASA, and after three dates, Anil proposed to Anna at the Peveto Gallery, and Anna said yes.
- During Anil’s visit to India, Kerala was his favorite. Speaking to the media, Anil said that the time spent in India was of great help in his preparation for the job. He spoke about the multicultural beauty of India. He said,
Kerala holds a special place in my heart. People were enthusiastic but a little surprised when they heard my accent. They are very warm and hospitable. Spending time in India really helped prepare me for this job because these skills are the same ones I will need as an astronaut in the future. India is a diverse multicultural country, each state has a different language, a different culture, and has such a long history. “
- In December 2021, NASA selected ten candidates from 12,000 applicants for future missions. The ten candidates went through multiple rounds of interviews, team exercises, physical examinations and aptitude tests. NASA announced that it will start training these 10 candidates in January 2022. This is a two-year training called the “Astronaut Candidate Training Program.” The training content includes military water survival exercises, flying NASA’s T-38 trainer aircraft, and spacewalk training with scuba qualifications. During a press conference, Anil Menon recounted his experience after being selected as a NASA astronaut candidate. He said,
I was in California and I got a call. This guy started talking about Crew Dragon because I was working at SpaceX at the time. I thought it was a business call. Halfway through, it turned into a joke. The director of the astronaut office said, “I’m kidding, do you want to be an astronaut?” I said, ‘Sign me up.’ “
From left to right: Nicole Ayers, Christopher Williams, Luke Delaney, Jessica Vitner, Anil Menon, Marcos Berrios, Jack Hay Servi, Christina Burch, Denise Burnham and Andre Douglas
- After being selected as a NASA candidate in December 2021, Anil seemed very excited when being interviewed by the media. He hopes to visit space in the future and experience the physical changes there. He said,
Since I love space medicine, I enjoyed learning about how the body changes in space. I want to research it and bring it back to the community so I can share the knowledge with others. “
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education