SpaceX engineer Anna Menon is SpaceX’s Lead Space Operations Engineer. According to SpaceX’s latest News, Anna Menon is on board as a crew member of the SpaceX unique space mission of Jared Isaacman, the US billionaire, as it was announced on Monday.
It is worth mentioning here that Jared Isaacman commanded a spaceflight mission with humans last year. More about the SpaceX engineer and her mission is below.
SpaceX unique space mission – Polaris Dawn
As per SpaceX release, Ms. Menon, being SpaceX’s Lead Space Operations Engineer, is responsible for developing crew-related operations aside from serving to control the mission in the capacity of a Mission Director and crew communicator.
Mr. Isaacman, the founder and chief executive officer of Shift4, the American payment processing company, had commanded Inspiration4 mission before and has now announced the Polaris Program.
What is the essence of the Polaris Program?
This program is a first of its kind to rapidly advance capabilities related to human spaceflight while simultaneously raising funds and awareness for the crucial causes on Earth.
The Polaris Dawn comprises a crew of experts who are well-known and operate on a solid foundation of trust to enable them to face challenges that come their way on this mission. Anna Menon is the Medical officer and Mission Specialist.
Anna Menon’s SpaceX New Space Mission
While she has been associated at SpaceX, Ms. Menon has played roles in vital spheres-
- She has spearheaded the implementation of Dragon’s crew capabilities
- Ms. Menon has assisted in creating the crew communicator operator role
- Developed responses to critical operational for vehicle emergencies like cabin and fire depressurization
- She has played an instrumental role in controlling the mission during Crew Dragon missions and multiple cargo missions. These include Demo-2, CRS-23, and CRS-22. Before being associated with SpaceX, she was with NASA for seven years as a biomedical flight controller for the International Space Station.
Anna Menon is the wife of physician Anil Menon of Indian origin, a lieutenant colonel working with the US Air Force, and was chosen by NASA in December 2021, aside from 9 others as astronauts for missions in the future. She grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Indian and Ukrainian immigrants.
Polaris Dawn and Dragon will witness the crew spending up to five days in orbit. They will try to make their first-ever commercial walk-in space during this period, carry out scientific research to advance human health on earth, and understand human health during long-duration spaceflights. The crew will also be the first to test Starlink space communication laser-based, and this will provide crucial data for space communication systems for the future required for missions to Mars, Moon, and beyond.
