Listen to Minnesota Now at noon Wednesday to hear a conversation with MPR Chief Meteorologist Ben Cathey and astronaut Anil Menon.

As an 8-year-old in the Twin Cities, Anil Menon remembers exploring the Science Museum of Minnesota. A NASA documentary he saw at the museum’s former IMAX theater about space stuck with him.

“It was seeing ‘The Dream Is Alive’ that inspired me to be an astronaut, and it was seeing people doing spacewalks,” Menon shared in an interview this week with MPR News while floating in space.

Now he’s Dr. Anil Menon, colonel in the United States Space Force, emergency room doctor, and a working NASA astronaut. He launched into space for the first time on July 14 for an eight-month mission. And he’s done two spacewalks. Menon will mark 100 consecutive days in space on Friday.

Menon says he went through extensive training to prepare for a spacewalks, including several simulations.

“It helps us get our brains into a place that we just normalize the most strangest occurrences, like being in space with nothing between you and outer space other than a thin glass visor,” he said.

Both spacewalks Menon has done lasted just under 6.5 hours.

While on board the International Space Station, Menon is using his medical background to conduct medical testing. For example, he is doing ultrasounds on himself to measure blood flow in outer space. Menon hopes the information will help when future astronauts visit the moon and Mars “within a decade.”

St. Paul students ask Menon questions

Ahead of the interview, MPR News visited Farnsworth Aerospace middle school in St. Paul to ask sixth graders what questions they have for Menon.

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Raelynn, 11, asked if Menon got to bring anything to space. Menon showed off the NASA belt buckle he was wearing to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary. He also brought a little dog figurine, which served as a zero-gravity indicator as well as a reminder of Menon’s German Shepherd who died this year. Menon also has family photos of his wife and two kids plastered across his room aboard the ISS.

Sixth grader Lincoln asked what the most beautiful thing Menon has seen in space. While he’s seen everything from hurricanes to wildfires from above, it’s the northern lights that stand out: “it was like a painting across our atmosphere and sky.”

Menon has spotted Minnesota from space, too.

“I love looking down at the Great Lakes,” said Menon, “They really stand out there when you see it.”

And he’s looking forward to seeing a Minnesota winter from space — likely a nicer experience when there’s no shovels and snow boots to contend with.

Menon says his time in space has given him a newfound appreciation of our planet, one he’s due back on in spring 2027.

“I think when I go back, I hope I just always look around, and I'm reminded to just wake up and take a deep breath, and remember that I'm surrounded by beauty.”

Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.