Science TechnologySaturday, 18 July 2026·The Hindu - Science
NASA astronaut Anil Menon reaches ISS aboard Soyuz MS-29 with two Russian cosmonauts
On July 15, 2026, NASA astronaut Anil Menon reached the International Space Station on Soyuz MS-29 with Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On July 15, 2026, NASA astronaut Anil Menon reached the International Space Station aboard Soyuz MS-29 with Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina after a launch from Baikonur at 8:17 p.m. IST on July 14, 2026.
Key specifics
- Launch time: 8:17 p.m. IST on July 14, 2026; docking time: 11:52 p.m. IST at the Prichal module.
- Hatch opening time: about 2:00 a.m. IST after checks inside the spacecraft and station.
- Mission duration: about eight months; return scheduled for April 2027.
- Menon’s first spaceflight; Dubrov and Kikina’s second flight, according to NASA.
- Menon was selected as a NASA astronaut in December 2021 and joined training the following month.
Exam lens
Question type: International space missions, launch vehicle, docking module, mission duration, astronaut profile. TNPSC may ask the names of the crew, launch site Baikonur, and the docking module Prichal.