TCU
Anna Menon, TCU ’08, took flight with the first-ever civilian Polaris Dawn space crew who launched into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at approximately 4:23 a.m. CDT on September 10.
Polaris Dawn is a private space mission operated by SpaceX on the behalf of Shift4 CEO Jared Isaacman. Menon and crew are on the first of a planned three missions, which are set to examine the effects of space flight, test communication devices, monitor health impacts in space, and conduct a space walk.
For Menon, this mission is the realization of a dream she’s had since she was very young.
“Growing up in Houston, I went on a field trip to NASA in the fourth grade, and that’s when my dream to be an astronaut began, but I never thought it would happen,” Menon told TCU. “I’ve had a lifelong love of exploration – of other cultures and fields of study. This will be a rare and different exploration, one that I plan to share with my kids, family and colleagues.”
Besides Menon, the Polaris Dawn crew consists of Jared Isaacman, Sarah Gillis, and Scott Poteet. These four civilian astronauts are set to orbit almost 900 miles above the earth’s atmosphere, which is three times higher than the orbit of the International Space Station, launched in November of 1998. This five-day mission is the first for the Polaris Dawn program, which will also consist of a first-ever all civilian spacewalk. Also, according to Isaacman, the crew will be testing out some brand-new space suits as well as a new star link communications system.
“This is the first mission of the Polaris program, which are all test and developmental missions that will bring astronauts closer to fulfilling SpaceX’s dream of making life multi-planetary,” Isaacman said on the TODAY show. “We’re going farther into space than when humans walked on the moon on Apollo 17.”
Beside the important work these astronauts have been tasked to do, Menon, who was holding a new book she helped co-create, “Kisses From Space,” says she will be reading excerpts of the book to some very lucky children while in space.
“It is the story of a mama dragon as she journeys to space and shares that with her baby dragons back here on earth,” Menon said on the TODAY show. “It is the story of how love can overcome any distance. I will be reading this book live from space to my kids back here on earth who are 3 and 6, as well as some of the brave patients of St. Jude’s Research Hospital.”
Also, along for the ride, besides her new book, is a TCU Sesquicentennial patch, in honor of Menon’s alma mater.
“TCU gave me such a strong foundation, so I want to take a small piece of it with me,” she said in a 2023 interview. “TCU will always be special to me, because of the people, and it’s where I made lifelong relationships.”
Menon also credits TCU for helping her find her passion for travel after she studied abroad for a year in Spain.
“TCU showed me the world and opened my eyes to a new way of life,” she said. “I got to study abroad in Spain and learned new ways to better communicate with one field of study, and I learned problem-solving and perseverance with the other.”
Menon who earned her bachelor’s in math and Spanish at TCU, eventually left Fort Worth to pursue a Master of Science in biomedical engineering at Duke. She used her education to become a biomedical flight controller for NASA’s International Space Station, a spot that allowed her to become a NASA astronaut candidate. In 2018, she joined SpaceX where she most recently served as lead space operations engineer, managing the development of crew operations. She also served as mission director and crew communicator in mission control.
Talk about a resume boost.
“When I was approached about being on this mission, I was so very touched and grateful,” she said. “Joining the Polaris Dawn crew reawakened my childhood dream.”
When asked if she still kept in touch with her friends from her TCU days, Menon said she does her best to keep up with everyone when she can.
“I am grateful for them and their continued support,” she said. “Having them – and this opportunity – is what I had dreamed and hoped for so long ago.”
