Anna Menon Explained

Anna Menon
Birth Name:Anna Wilhelm
Birth Date:24 December 1985
Birth Place:Houston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation:Lead Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX
Children:2
Module:
Embed:yes
Type:SpaceX Commercial Astronaut
Space Time:5 days (planned)

Anna Menon is an American engineer employed by SpaceX as lead space operations and a mission director. She is scheduled to fly on Polaris Dawn, a private human spaceflight mission operated by SpaceX on behalf of Jared Isaacman. During the mission, she will serve as the onboard medical officer. Menon previously worked as a biomedical flight controller at NASA for six years, overseeing operations at the International Space Station before joining SpaceX.

Education

Menon graduated from Texas Christian University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and spanish.[1] [2] She went on to earn a Master of Science degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University in 2010.[3]

Menon was also a member of the Iota Lambda chapter of Alpha Chi Omega sorority at Texas Christian University.[4]

Career

NASA

Menon was a NASA biomedical flight controller for the International Space Station, assisting ISS crews from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and leading biomedical operations for Expedition 41[5] [6] including ISS US EVA's 27 and 28.

SpaceX

Menon is a Mission Director at SpaceX, where she helps with the development of human spaceflight missions and works at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. She manages the execution of Dragon manufacturing and operates as Crew Communications Operator.[7]

Menon is scheduled to fly on Polaris Dawn, a private spaceflight funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman.[8] [9] [10] [11]

Personal life

Anna married Anil Menon on October 15, 2016, in a ceremony in Houston.[12] Anil is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and served as a NASA Flight Surgeon during Anna's time as a biomedical flight controller. Both would later go on to work at SpaceX, Anil as the company's Medical Director. Anil left SpaceX in 2021 when he was accepted into NASA Astronaut Group 23.[13] They have two children together, James and Grace.[14] Both she and her husband appeared in the final episode of the five-episode television documentary entitled , released on Netflix in September 2021.[15]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Washam . Delaney . May 28, 2024 . Arithmetic and Astronauts: Alumna Anna Menon Apart of Polaris Dawn Mission . August 12, 2024 . Texas Christian University College of Science & Engineering . en.
  2. Web site: History in the Making: Alumna’s Journey Will Be Out of This World . August 12, 2024 . . en.
  3. Web site: Dixon . Mandy . November 3, 2023 . To Infinity and Beyond . August 12, 2024 . . en-US.
  4. Brown Moore . Karlee . Winter 2023 . Seeking the Heights Out of This World . August 12, 2024 . The Lyre . . 48-53 . en . 126 . 2.
  5. Web site: Quint . The . February 17, 2022 . SpaceX Engineer Anna Menon Part of Crew for New Mission Called 'Polaris Dawn' . February 18, 2022 . TheQuint . en.
  6. Web site: Anna Menon . February 16, 2022 . polarisprogram.com . en-US.
  7. Web site: Meet Anna Menon, crew member of SpaceX mission and wife of Kerala-origin astronaut candidate . February 18, 2022 . OnManorama.
  8. News: Jared Isaacman, who led the first all-private astronaut mission to orbit, has commissioned 3 more flights from SpaceX . February 16, 2022 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
  9. News: Jared Isaacman, who led the first all-private astronaut mission to orbit, has commissioned three more flights from SpaceX . February 17, 2022 . . en-US.
  10. Web site: Polaris Dawn . September 20, 2022 . Polaris Program.
  11. News: Meet the crew: SpaceX engineer Anna Menon to be on next space mission announced by Jared Isaacman . February 18, 2022 . The Economic Times.
  12. Web site: Anil & Anna . The Knot.
  13. Web site: Mars . Kelli . December 3, 2021 . NASA Astronaut Anil Menon . December 22, 2021 . NASA.
  14. Web site: Who Is Anna Menon? The SpaceX Engineer Part Of Mission Polaris Dawn . February 16, 2022 . en-US.
  15. Web site: Petski . Denise . August 3, 2021 . Netflix Greenlights 'Inspiration4' All Civilian Space Mission Docuseries From 'The Last Dance' Team . Deadline Hollywood.