Ever since the early telescopic observations made by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli in 1877 when Mars was in opposition at 56-million-kilometres away, he is said to have seen “canali” or canals on Mars. Seeing these features gave the impression of a possible civilization. Since then the red planet has been the focus of the search for ancient life and is also the base of science fiction writers and movie makers.
Jennifer (Jenni) Anne MacKinnon Sidey-Gibbons (b. 1988) studied at McGill University and earned her PhD from the University of Cambridge, where she continued on as assistant professor and lecturer in engineering. Her research related to combustion and the complex processes involved. In 2017, she was selected as an astronaut by the Canadian Space Agency.