State celebrates Kerala-origin NASA astronaut's journey to ISS

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 14 (PTI) People of the state celebrated and felt proud as Kerala-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon flew to ISS on Tuesday. He is the great-grandson of former Indian National Congress chief Sir C Sankaran Nair. Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar congratulated Menon, whose roots lie in the Ottapalam area of Palakkad district. In a Facebook post, Arlekar said that he was fortunate to have visited Menon's ancestral home last year to pay tributes to Sir Nair. "Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Anil Menon, the pride of Kerala, in his historic space odyssey. I have had the fortune of visiting his ancestral home, Chettur House at Ottappalam, a year back, to pay tributes to Anil Menon's great-grandfather, late Sir C Sankaran Nair," he said. Chief Minister V D Satheesan congratulated Menon, the Soyuz mission and his fellow astronauts as they took off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, the largest and oldest spaceport in the world operated by Russia in Kazakhstan. Sharing a video of the launch of the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, aboard which the astronauts are travelling to the ISS, Satheesan, in a Facebook post, said that it was a proud moment for 3.5 crore Keralites. "This is the first time a Keralite is going beyond the boundaries of the sky and into the infinite space," he said, adding that Menon was not only a source of pride for Kerala but also an inspiration for the country. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Pinarayi Vijayan also congratulated Menon for his historic feat of becoming "the first Keralite to reach the space station". "This achievement is a moment of joy and pride for every Keralite. Dr Anil Menon has proven that with dedication, hard work and unwavering commitment to science, one can reach the top of the world," Vijayan said in a Facebook post. He said that Menon's feat will be a great inspiration to those of the younger generation who want to enter the field of science. "I wish him continued success in conquering new heights," Vijayan said. Menon took off for the International Space Station (ISS) onboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft as part of Expedition 74. Satheesan on Saturday had congratulated Menon on his achievement and had termed his journey to the ISS as a "truly historic milestone" for the state. PTI HMP SA