Anna Menon
@annawmenon
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Lead Space Operations Engineer at @SpaceX, Mission Specialist & Medical Officer on Polaris Dawn, Former Space Station flight controller, Proud wife and mom!
Joined February 2022
I’m excited to celebrate SpaceX founder’s day, pi day, and women’s history month with SpaceX today. I’m so proud to be part of this team. Thanks to all the engineers, women, and space enthusiasts who have paved the way. And here’s to breaking new ground on Polaris Dawn.
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T-1 day! This one’s for the @SpaceX team. From day one to T-1, I have been awed by their demonstration of how to dream big, persevere, and build a better future. This photo, taken during quarantine on our last day at SpaceX, offers just a small glimpse into the incredible team of
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Dry dress rehearsal and static fire complete! Next stop: SPACE
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I always appreciate @SpaceX ‘s diligence and commitment to not fly until we are ready. We will try again tomorrow!.
Teams are taking a closer look at a ground-side helium leak on the Quick Disconnect umbilical. Falcon and Dragon remain healthy and the crew continues to be ready for their multi-day mission to low-Earth orbit. Next launch opportunity is no earlier than Wednesday, August 28 →.
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Totally surreal to walk into a hangar and see the rocket and spaceship that will take you to space 🤯 . We got to sign our flight-proven booster before it heads out to the pad and goes vertical: a moment made possible by @SpaceX’s impressive booster reusability.
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First day of training! So excited to be on this journey with this crew and grateful to learn from the fantastic team at @SpaceX .
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What a sight! 😍 Today we visited Dragon Resilience as she rolled out to the pad and soon thereafter was raised vertical. I love seeing how the @SpaceX team works - one minute Dragon is standing in a hangar and then I blink and she’s on top of a rocket secured at the launch site.
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Stunning views, only made possible by the incredible @SpaceX team.
Views from Dragon in flight 🐉🌎. During its five day mission, Dragon and the Polaris Dawn crew completed 75 orbits around Earth
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Absolutely stunning.
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Incredible!.
Polaris Dawn entry this morning. I photographed it at 7:23 am GMT from the Cupola on ISS. In addition to the multi-colored entry trail over Florida, the basic cone shape of the Dragon capsule can be seen. Nikon Z9, 200mm f2, 1/400th sec, ISO 25600.
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Week 1 of Dragon training is in the books! 🐉 Thank you to the incredible @SpaceX team for the fantastic learning experience. @PolarisProgram @SpaceX @Gillis_SarahE @rookisaacman @KiddPoteet
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Today was an exciting day! Ax-1 successfully launched and are paving the way as the first solely all-private crew to travel to the @Space_Station. I’m so proud of the team and everyone involved in this mission. We will continue to work diligently until they return home safely.
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Here we go!!!.
We are targeting no earlier than July 31 for the launch of Polaris Dawn
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Eye will be back…for research. Polaris Dawn will carry with us on our mission 38 experiments from 23 partner institutions, including this device that measures intraocular pressure through a contact lens. See for more!
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Capturing our beautiful Earth, space beyond it, and our mighty Dragon spacecraft was one of the many great joys of this mission. Looking through these photos brings back some powerful memories. I can hardly wait to share more in the days and weeks ahead ❤️🌎.
A first look at more photos captured by the Polaris Dawn crew during their five day mission orbiting Earth →
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Take a look inside of a MiG-29! I was fortunate to share this view flying with @rookisaacman . The Polaris team is integrating us into the cockpit to train for spaceflight. This group of pilots has tens of thousands of hours of experience and their skill never ceases to amaze me.
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Let’s go!!!!.
We are targeting no earlier than August 26 for the launch of Polaris Dawn
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Stunning static fire completed at dawn.
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We officially began EVA, or spacewalk, training this week! @SpaceX is equipping us to send our mission to new heights. @PolarisProgram @rookisaacman @Gillis_SarahE @KiddPoteet
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What a rush! Today we trained for space on a zero-gravity parabolic flight. We tested some of our mission’s research experiments to fine-tune the operations & got a preview into the movement control needed to thrive in the space environment. It was a great way to learn!
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Thrilled to get to share SpaceX’s new EVA spacesuit! This is the suit that will keep us safe on the first ever commercial spacewalk and a big stepping stone towards a future where thousands of people are walking on the surface of Mars. Huge shout out to the incredible SpaceX team.
More @SpaceX photos of the new Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suit the Polaris Dawn crew will wear during their upcoming mission. Let us know your questions below ahead of today’s X Spaces event with the crew and SpaceX team👇
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First full training event complete! ✅ Two days of scuba training and open water dives helped us build communication strategies, teamwork, experience in unfamiliar environments, and familiarization with our physiological responses to changes in pressure.
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There is so much to learn still for our collective future in human space exploration. Excited to contribute to the learning via this mission!.
The Polaris Dawn crew will wear smart contact lenses in space to monitor their intraocular pressure, in efforts to learn more about Spaceflight Associated Neuroocular Syndrome, or SANS, as part of a University of Colorado Boulder research experiment. This is just one of 36
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Love getting to share a glimpse into training for the Polaris Dawn spacewalk! The @SpaceX team came up with so many innovative solutions as a part of this development and training effort. Can’t wait to put all of this work into action in a few days!.
Four astronauts are scheduled to blast off next week on a historic six-day mission to a record orbit, 870 miles above Earth — more than three times higher than the ISS. The mission will also attempt the first-ever commercial spacewalk.
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So appreciate the support 🙏.
The NYSE wishes the Polaris Dawn team safe travels in their launch with @SpaceX, led by mission commander and @Shift4 Founder Jared Isaacman! (NYSE: $FOUR) .@rookisaacman
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Our time in Ecuador was all about getting comfortable being uncomfortable. And we scored 10/10 on this objective.
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Looking into 2023 as … the year Polaris Dawn goes to space!. 2022 was a year I will never forget, but I am so excited to experience what 2023 has in store. Ad astra!
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So enjoyed talking with you @imPenny2x ! Thanks for the great conversation.
SpaceX Astronaut, Engineer, and Medical Officer Anna Menon (@annawmenon) played a critical role in the recent and historic Polaris Dawn mission (@PolarisProgram). Anna and her crewmates reached the highest orbit since the last Apollo flight in 1972, more than 50 years ago. They
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Wishing Crew-5 a safe and exciting mission! I’ll be cheering you on. 🚀.
All systems are looking good for launch of the Crew-5 mission on Wednesday, October 5 →
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Learning from the best! I got to work alongside @Astro_Menon and the amazing @UTHealthHouston medical team in the ER this morning. I’m continuing to sharpen my skills to support my crew as the medical officer on Polaris Dawn.
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Grateful for every opportunity I get to learn from one of the best, @johnkrausphotos !.
We are also finding some extra time for a bit more photography training 📷🌎 spent a few hours with @annawmenon tonight diving into all the nitty-gritty Nikon details. The crew will get some amazing photos/videos from new heights in Earth orbit. Can’t wait for everyone to see!.
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Jets & G-forces! We spent last week training for spaceflight using fighter jets- leaning on @NASA’s history of similarly using these types of aircraft to develop astronauts’ skills. @PolarisProgram @rookisaacman @KiddPoteet @Gillis_SarahE 📸:@johnkrausphotos, @johnpisaniphoto
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3 secrets to couples training for spaceflight:.•Efficiency: combining workouts with quality time. •Teamwork!.•Trust :)
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What an important mission being undertaken here on Earth 💙.
Visiting the @stjude affiliated House of Hope in the Philippines and meeting Doc Mae was one of the most inspiring moments of our mission leading up to Polaris Dawn. St. Jude has made incredible progress raising childhood cancer survival rates in the USA - but the reality for the.
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So glad to have you home, Crew-4!.
Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, @Astro_Kjell, @Astro_FarmerBob, @astro_Watkins, and @AstroSamantha!
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Our crew dug deeper into human physiology this past week and learned about the effects of high CO2, low O2, and rapid decompression in NASTAR’s altitude chamber! The experience made me appreciate even more the beauty of the human body & the challenges of human spaceflight.
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Just stunning!.
Two years ago this week, I captured a Falcon 9 rocket launching in front of the sun. Last night, I finally took the follow-up image with a Falcon 9 in front of the nearly-full moon!
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What a moving moment with the incredible @SpaceX team that make this mission possible.
The Polaris Dawn Dragon is headed to vacuum chamber testing! SpaceX teams celebrate Dragon's departure with @rookisaacman, @KiddPoteet, @Gillis_SarahE, and @annawmenon ahead of launching to orbit this summer
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Thanks for having us @ASE_Astronauts ! It was such a joy to be there.
#ASE35 Day 4: @rookisaacman, @annawmenon, & @Gillis_SarahE from @PolarisProgram's Polaris Dawn mission presented to Congress attendees on their recent flight: what went right (e.g., the first commercial spacewalk), what could have went better (e.g., having more time), & stories!
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A view through the lens of our space training! This week we did photography training. I still have lots to learn, but I am thankful for the chance to soak up wisdom from the experts around us. I can hardly wait to put what they’re teaching us into practice at 1400km above Earth!
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ABCs aren’t just for my toddler these days! Recently, we practiced our ABCs (or Airway, Breathing, and Circulation assessments) during a week of immersive medical training at @UTHealthHouston . There, I drilled the medical skills to prepare as the medical officer on Polaris Dawn.
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Join us imminently to talk about the Polaris Dawn mission!.
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Great shots!.
The Polaris Dawn made a dramatic entrance Monday morning, arriving at Cape Canaveral in formation. Launch is set for no earlier than August 26. Go Polaris Dawn!
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So thankful to the @AF_Academy for this fantastic training!.
The 4-member Polaris Dawn crew slated to go to space this year was at #youracademy to do a little freefalling, floating and safe landings. Cadets trained the crew to safely complete solo, freefall jumps 🪂 to earn their jump wings. and prepare for space! .#flyfightwin
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This past weekend, the @PolarisProgram team participated in the @StJude Memphis Marathon weekend. What a moving and motivating environment; I’m so humbled by the strength of this community.
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We had the privilege of visiting @StJude last week. The ground-breaking research there blew me away, but the dedication of the researchers and medical teams coupled with the strength of the children moved me even more. Thank you for all you do! @StJudeResearch
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It was such a joy to read Kisses from Space…from space!! 💜💫. Thank you @randomhousekids , @StJude , @SpaceX , @PolarisProgram , and @ShawnJohnson for enabling and being a part of this moment of connection while far from our Earth 🌎.
Storytime. from space!? 🚀. In case you missed it, @SpaceX astronaut @annawmenon recently read her picture book, Kisses From Space, to her children and a few patients from @StJude Children's Research Hospital—from the @PolarisProgram in space!.
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On our family commutes 🚗 to @SpaceX , @astro_anil & I would tell our kids endless stories of a dragon and her babies. (Anything to get through a car ride with a toddler, amiright??) These stories ended up being a special connecting point for us before we were apart for the day.
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Godspeed, Crew-4!.
LIVE: NASA's @SpaceX #Crew4 is set for return to Earth, completing a nearly six-month science mission. Watch as the hatches close on the @Space_Station and Dragon Freedom spacecraft.
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Very grateful for this crew and the fantastic team around us, including @PolarisProgram , @SpaceX , @RMIExpeditions , @EViesturs , the Ecuadorian guides, @jrogal747 & crew, and @Astro_Menon . Thanks also (especially @johnkrausphotos) for capturing these moments in photo & video.
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Thank you to Amran Asadi, Nicolas Heft, @UTHealthHouston , @SpaceX , and @PolarisProgram , and the many other contributing medical personnel for this fantastic training. Thanks to you, I feel one step closer to being ready to fly. 👩🏻🚀🩺🚀. 📸:@UTHealthHouston.
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What a heartwarming visit with the extraordinary students of @esperanzaacad 🤗 Absolutely loved visiting; thank you for having us!.
Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon visited the Esperanza Academy in Lawrence, MA, yesterday, meeting with students and sharing the exciting objectives of the Polaris Dawn mission in efforts to inspire the next generation to look up to the stars ✨👩🚀👩🚀✨
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So excited about this!! Tons of great resources here for kids and educators.
I’m so excited to finally share this with the world: A Musician’s Guide to Reaching for the Stars! 💫. Inspired by my journey from violinist to engineer and astronaut, this is a fun educational resource to explore with your kids and students! #space4music.
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In the end, we grew together as a crew as we challenged and supported one another to climb 3 mountains. And, like spaceflight, it was only possible through teamwork.
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💕You see, when we’re apart,.We’re not really alone. I’ll send kisses from space.And I’ll always come home.💕. Kisses From Space available June 4. Preorder your copy today!.
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Years later, I was presented with the biggest work trip of my life 🚀and wanted to find a way to connect with my kids from afar🪐. It quickly became clear that this extra-long commute called for a story about mama dragon 🐉 and her babies….
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Over the course of 4 nights, we embraced low oxygen pressure at increasingly higher altitudes, practiced new technical skills on austere terrain, navigated stressful situations, and persevered through the physical and mental challenges of climbing for hours to reach new summits.
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The training was incredible and even more incredible were the people. I was humbled by the kindness, compassion, & brilliance of the doctors & nurses from whom we had the privilege to learn.
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We performed patient assessments, honed our ultrasound skills, simulated our responses to spaceflight medical issues, and practiced procedures we may need to support our crewmates.
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@JennyHPhoto @SuperclusterHQ @PolarisProgram @rookisaacman @Gillis_SarahE @KiddPoteet Thanks for the support!.
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@VysakhPViswana1 I traveled there in 2013, learned to speak a bit of Malayalam, and it’s one of my favorite places in the world!.
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@WeHaveMECO @PolarisProgram @KiddPoteet @Gillis_SarahE @SpaceX Thanks for having us! We had a great time chatting with you.
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@Mike_Seeley @PolarisProgram @KiddPoteet @Gillis_SarahE @StJude What a shot! Beautiful photo @Mike_Seeley. Thanks for supporting @StJude 💜.
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@DoctorGoodheart @X Wow, well this girl is cheering on your girls! Please pass along a big hello and thanks for the support 😊💜🐉.
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