Anna Menon
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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[edit | edit source]
Menon graduated from Texas Christian University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and Spanish.<ref>Template:Citation core{{#if:August 12, 2024|}}</ref><ref>Template:Citation core{{#if:August 12, 2024|}}</ref> She went on to earn a Master of Science degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University in 2010.<ref>Template:Citation core{{#if:August 12, 2024|}}</ref>
Menon was also a member of the Iota Lambda chapter of Alpha Chi Omega sorority at Texas Christian University.<ref name="Brown Moore 2023">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Career[edit | edit source]
NASA[edit | edit source]
Menon worked at NASA for seven years, and for six of those years she served as a 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<ref>Template:Citation core{{#if:February 18, 2022|}}</ref><ref name="PolarisDawn">Template:Citation core{{#if:February 16, 2022|}}</ref> including ISS US EVA's 27 and 28.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
SpaceX[edit | edit source]
Menon joined SpaceX in July 2018 as a Space Operations Engineer. She was promoted to Lead Space Operations Engineer in November 2019.<ref>Template:Citation core{{#if:August 26, 2024|}}</ref> In her position, she manages the development of crew operations, ensuring that procedures and protocols are in place for astronauts during their missions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="PolarisDawn" /> She also served in the company's mission control, including during the Demo-2 flight. During Inspiration4, a private spaceflight funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, she served as technical adviser to the family members of the all-civilian crew, explaining the complexities of spaceflight to loved ones on the ground. Shortly after he returned from space, Isaacman picked Menon to be part of his Polaris Dawn mission. During the mission, Menon will serve as the on-board medical officer and will help carry out science experiments during the trip.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Personal life[edit | edit source]
File:Anil and Anna Menon at NASA Mission Control Houston Texas to direct ISS US EVA 28 16.webm Anna married Anil Menon on October 15, 2016, in a ceremony in Houston.<ref>Template:Citation core{{#if:|}}</ref> They have two children together.<ref name="Brown Moore 2023" /><ref>Template:Citation core{{#if:February 16, 2022|}}</ref> Both she and her husband appeared in the final episode of the five-episode television documentary entitled Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space, released on Netflix in September 2021.<ref>Template:Citation core{{#if:|}}</ref>