Anna Menon, former SpaceX engineer and Polaris Dawn astronaut, joins NASA’s 2025 class with a record-setting space mission under her belt (Photo: NASA)
NASA has revealed its 2025 astronaut candidate class, adding ten new names to the elite list of individuals chosen for space exploration among them is Anna W. Menon, a biomedical engineer, commercial astronaut and seasoned spaceflight operations expert.
Menon's selection marks a significant moment not only in her career but also in the ongoing progression of women into the future of spaceflight.
For the first time in NASA's history, women constitute the majority of its new astronaut class with six of the ten selected candidates being female.
This is a symbolic shift as it is taking place the agency's Artemis program, which aims to land on the Moon the first woman and the next man. Senator Ted Cruz remarked that this was a point on the calendar that would be remembered as "the day that began such diversity in U.S. space exploration."
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Anna Menon is originally from Houston, carries with her a rare combination of talents engineering expertise, medical training and flight experience. She holds degrees in mathematics, Spanish and biomedical engineering and has even worked with NASA and SpaceX a uniquely public-private bridge between space enterprises.
She is married to NASA astronaut and SpaceX Medical Director Anil Menon and the couple has two children a son James Menon (2018) and daughter Grace Elizabeth Menon (2020).
Anna Menon spent seven years at SpaceX working on Dragon and Starship crew operation, worked as mission director and crew communicator for several historic missions including SpaceX Demo-2.
In 2024, she flew to space on the Polaris Dawn mission, participating in the first commercial spacewalk, completing about 40 experiments and helped set the women's altitude record.
Anna Menon previously served as a biomedical flight controller at NASA's Johnson Space Center and supporting astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Her work involved real-time problem-solving for medical systems ensuring astronaut safety under high-stakes conditions.
Anna Menon has received various awards including Dr. Buzz Aldrin Space Advancement Award, the Swigert Award for Space Exploration and the Duke University Distinguished Young Alumni Award. She also holds a world record for space altitude jointly earned during Polaris Dawn.
Anna Menon is a scientist and an astronaut but also a very devoted humanitarian. In the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal earthquake, she was involved with the WHO emergency sanitation response and has also volunteered with Engineers Without Borders and Engineering World Health demonstrating her dedication to service here on Earth and beyond.
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Disclaimer: Information is based on NASA and SpaceX public sources; mission details, astronaut roles and future assignments may evolve with agency decisions.
