Washington, August 29: President Donald Trump has commended Indian-American NASA astronaut Anil Menon and his two colleagues currently aboard the International Space Station. He referred to them as “great Americans, great patriots, and brave individuals.” Trump also extended an invitation for them to visit the Oval Office upon their return to Earth.
During a conversation from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Trump expressed, “It is a great honor to be with you, and I want to thank Jessica, Anil, and Jack. They are great Americans, great patriots, and brave people.”
He highlighted that being selected for this mission was a significant achievement for Menon, Jessica Meir, and Jack Hathaway. Colonel Menon of the U.S. Space Force told Trump that he takes pride in serving in space. He also discussed a spacewalk completed the previous week, stating, “Thank you, sir. As a colonel in the Space Force, I am very proud to serve in the greatest domain beyond imagination.”
Menon shared his excitement about the preparations for missions beyond low Earth orbit. He said, “We are paving the way for our next journeys to the Moon, lunar bases, and Mars. Thank you for moving us in that direction.”
This conversation followed Trump’s announcement of the U.S. Space Academy plan. He informed the astronauts that the proposed institution would be on par with West Point, the Naval Academy, the Coast Guard Academy, and the Air Force Academy.
Trump expressed pride in establishing the Space Force during his first term, arguing that space-based intelligence has become crucial for U.S. military operations and will only grow in importance with technological advancements.
Menon’s wife, Ana Menon, also attended the event, expressing her admiration, “It was wonderful to see you all up there. We love you all very much. You are doing a fantastic job.”
Anil Menon was born and raised in Minneapolis, with parents who immigrated from India and Ukraine. NASA selected him as part of the 2021 astronaut candidate class. Previously, he served as SpaceX’s first flight surgeon and assisted with NASA crew missions to the International Space Station.
He launched on July 14 aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft with cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. NASA reported that the trio will spend nearly eight months in the orbital laboratory, conducting research and technology-related work before returning to Earth in April 2027.
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