Jenni Gibbons

Early Life

Jenni Gibbons was born and raised in Calgary. As a young child she was fascinated by the night sky and space. Her mother encouraged her scientific interests and helped her put together a scrapbook of articles about astronaut Roberta Bondar’s pioneering 1992 journey aboard the Discovery space shuttle, which made Bondar the first Canadian woman to travel to space. Gibbons also had an interest in geology.

Education and Academic Career

Jenni Gibbons was drawn to study engineering because it allowed her to combine her interest in science with creativity and problem-solving. She graduated from McGill University in 2011 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. During her undergraduate degree, Gibbons undertook research with the CSA and the Flight Research Laboratory on the effects of microgravity on flames. She also worked on a hydrogen generation project in the Alternative Fuels Laboratory at McGill.

In 2015, Gibbons completed a Ph.D. in engineering at Jesus College at the University of Cambridge in England. She also undertook a postdoctoral research position at the university, working on a European Commission project in collaboration with Rolls-Royce through the University Gas Turbine Partnership. Her work specialized in combustion (burning). During her time at Cambridge, Gibbons co-founded the Cambridge chapter of Robogals, a student-run not-for-profit organization that encourages young women to get involved with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).

In 2016, Gibbons became an Assistant Professor in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, later advancing as an Associate Professor. Gibbons taught undergraduate and graduate students. She also conducted research on the physics of spray flames, alternative fuel additives and pollutants produced during combustion.

Astronaut Recruitment

In June 2016, the CSA opened applications for the 2017 Astronaut Recruitment Campaign. This was the Agency’s fourth round of recruitment, having previously launched astronaut recruitment campaigns in 1983, 1992 and 2008. Although Jenni Gibbons was interested in teaching and had not seriously considered a career as an astronaut, she felt that she could not pass up this rare opportunity and applied to the program.

The CSA received 3,772 applications from across the country, of which 24 per cent were women. After a rigorous one-year selection process, it was announced in July 2017 that two candidates had been selected: Gibbons and Joshua Kutryk.

NASA Training

Jenni Gibbons moved from England to Houston, Texas to begin training as part of the 2017 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut class. Her training class was the first under NASA’s Artemis program, which focuses on lunar exploration. It was also the first class to be supervised by a Canadian astronaut, Jeremy Hansen.

Astronaut training takes around two years. Trainees study subjects such as geology, robotics and the Russian language (to communicate with other astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS)). Training activities include learning how to move in a spacesuit, conduct spacewalks, fly T-38 jets and learning to operate ISS systems. They are also trained on how to survive in sea and wilderness settings.

Gibbons’s class graduated from Astronaut Candidate Training in January 2020. Upon graduation, trainees officially become astronauts. Gibbons was the third Canadian woman to become an astronaut, after Roberta Bondar and Julie Payette.

Astronaut Career

Since becoming an astronaut, Jenni Gibbons has supported the Expedition 63 crew and managed the Mission Control Capcom Console for the ISS. She has supported astronauts on spacewalks as a ground communicator and mentored the 2021 Astronaut Class in their spacewalk training.

In November 2023, Gibbons was selected to serve as Jeremy Hansen’s backup on the Artemis II mission. Artemis II is a NASA-led mission to send four astronauts around the moon. Originally planned for late 2024, NASA delayed the launch date of Artemis II until no earlier than September 2025 to address safety concerns.

As backup, Gibbons will take Hansen’s place if he is unable to participate in the space flight. She also participates in testing for all aspects of the mission. She is also training to serve as lunar capcom (capsule communicator) for future Artemis missions, bridging communication between the control team on the ground and the flight crew. Being involved with Artemis II will allow Gibbons to play a key role in the development of training and processes for future missions.

Awards

• Young Engineer of the Year, Royal Academy of Engineering (2016)
• Young Woman Engineer of the Year, Institute of Engineering and Technology (2016)
• Gold Medal, Royal Canadian Geographical Society (2021)