SpaceX astronaut Anna Menon reads 'Kisses in Space' to her kids in orbit: Watch
The pioneering astronauts of the Polaris Dawn mission have a packed agenda during their five short days in space, but medical officer Anna Menon still found time to read to her children from orbit.
One day after launching to the cosmos and reaching historic heights, Menon took a break from a slate of scientific experiments and demonstrations for SpaceX to connect with her son and daughter. Amid preparations to accomplish another historic feat – the first-ever commercial spacewalk – Menon read from a book she co-authored as her two children watched from Earth.
"This book, 'Kisses from Space,' is a story that I wrote for you, James and Grace, to remind you that I love you and am always thinking of you even when we're apart," Menon said from the SpaceX Dragon capsule, where she and her crewmates appeared to be weightless in zero gravity.
But it wasn't just her own two children – James, 6, and Grace, 4 – that were in the audience for the cosmic book reading. Also on the live feed were some youngsters at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Rewatch Polaris Dawn astronaut Anna Menon read kid's book
Wednesday's virtual event was hosted by Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, who at 32 years old is now herself a mother of three.
Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist
As Menon read "Kisses from Space," James and Grace watched 435 miles below from Florida with their father Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut. Hailing from Houston, Texas, the Menon family made the trip to Cape Canaveral to watch the Polaris Dawn launch and await the crew's return.
"They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder, and you're so far away we all miss you more than ever," Anil Menon said during the telecast.
Menon was then joined by her crewmates – commander Jared Isaacman, mission specialist Sarah Gillis and Scott "Kidd" Poteet – to answer some space-related questions from the young kids from St. Jude.
Rewatch the full video here:
Polaris Dawn:Crew members become first private astronauts to complete a spacewalk
What is 'Kisses from Space' about?
Menon recently spoke to USA TODAY about the book during the week she and the Polaris Dawn crew arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare for the launch.
Menon was inspired to write "Kisses from Space" while training for the Polaris Dawn mission, where she is part of a crew led by billionaire Jared Isaacman testing SpaceX technology that could prove vital for future deep-space exploration. Isaacman, the founder of internet company Shift4 Payment, helped to fund the mission along with Elon Musk's SpaceX.
The story is one of a mother dragon who returns home after an out-of-this-world adventure to regale her children with tails of her exploits.
The tale is, of course, one inspired by Menon's own experience preparing for the ambitious spaceflight mission.
But it's also one borne from a Menon family tradition from the days when both Anna and Anil worked at SpaceX and would make up stories to entertain James and Grace while transporting them to daycare. While the dragon characters may be familiar to the youngsters, the story itself is entirely new.
Menon co-authored the book with her cousin Keri Vasek, while award-winning illustrator Andy Harkness created the visuals. "Kisses from Space" was then published June 4 by Random House Books for Young Readers.
“It’s a story of how love can overcome any distance," Menon told USA TODAY. "And, it’s a story I wrote for my kids, ultimately.”
Proceeds from the book will also help to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization for St. Jude, called the book reading "a fun way to bring the magic of space and storytelling directly to St. Jude patients."
“This opportunity reminds us of the boundless potential within each child and the incredible impact we can each make on the lives of childhood cancer patients, everywhere," Shadyac said in a statement to USA TODAY. "We’re grateful to Polaris for giving St. Jude patients and families an amazing memory and story that they will tell and share with others for generations to come."
What is Anna Menon doing in space?
Menon should reunite with her family Sunday when the SpaceX Dragon capsule reenters Earth's atmosphere and splashes down off the Florida coast.
The water landing would conclude a five-day mission in which Menon and the Polaris Dawn astronauts completed several major milestones to set the stage for future crewed trips to the moon and even Mars.
When the spacecraft launched Tuesday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, was able to separate and use its own thrusters to power its way to heights humans have not been in more than a half-century. Ascending to more than 870 miles above Earth's surface took the astronauts to the highest any spacefarer has traveled since NASA's Apollo era came to an end in the 1970s.
For Sarah Gillis and Menon, the milestone came with even more history: The two astronauts have now traveled farther from the planet than any other women ever have. The pair are also the first two SpaceX employees to ever reach orbit.
And on Thursday, the Polaris Dawn crew members again made history by become the first private astronauts conduct a spacewalk. Only Isaacman and Gillis exited the vehicle, but Menon and Poteet were also exposed to the vacuum of space requiring all four of them to suit up in extravehicular activity (EVA) suits designed by SpaceX.
While in orbit, the crew have tested a new laser-based satellite communication system using Starlink and continue to conduct nearly 40 scientific experiments. Most of the tests aim to understand the human body's reaction to long spaceflights.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
