Indian-Origin NASA Astronaut Anil Menon Completes First Spacewalk

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has successfully completed his first spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS), marking a major milestone in his astronaut career. Menon conducted the extravehicular activity alongside NASA astronaut Jessica Meir on August 6, 2026.

The spacewalk lasted approximately 6 hours and 27 minutes. During the mission, the astronauts worked on upgrading the ISS power infrastructure, including modifications to the station's 3B power channel, in preparation for future solar-array upgrades.

Menon, who began his current ISS mission in July aboard Soyuz MS-29, is spending several months in orbit as part of the station's expedition crew. His background includes medicine, engineering, aviation and work as a NASA flight surgeon, making his transition to spaceflight particularly notable.

The successful spacewalk demonstrates the complexity of maintaining the ISS, where astronauts routinely perform repairs and upgrades while working in the vacuum of space. Such operations require extensive preparation, precise coordination and strict safety procedures.

For India, Menon's achievement has attracted considerable attention because of his Indian heritage and his growing role in human space exploration. His milestone comes at a time when international space agencies are preparing for increasingly ambitious missions involving lunar exploration, advanced space stations and future human missions beyond low-Earth orbit.

Menon's first spacewalk therefore represents more than a personal achievement—it highlights the increasingly international nature of human spaceflight and the continuing importance of cooperation in space exploration.