• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2024

• University of Alberta, Mechanical Engineering, ‘24

• Host Institution: Zipline

• Mentor: Charity Weeden

• Brookie Mentor: Andy de Fonseca

Whether it is flight testing or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), everything is astronaut training for Makenna. She is in her final year of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta, and hopes to contribute to the innovation and adventurous spirit of the aerospace industry.

Growing up on the outskirts of the city of Calgary close to the mountains, she often star gazed with her Dad and dreamed of the secrets of the sky. Pursuing engineering was another building block to this dream, where she completed internships at RocketLab and the Canadian Space Agency. Most notable was her work term at the National Research Council Flight Laboratory, where she explored her passion for flight test engineering and aerospace research on aircraft like the Falcon 20 and Bell 412.

Mission SpaceWalker, an all-women/gender diverse student space research team she founded, aims to make an impact and share their experiences with the public. After flying their robotics experiment in microgravity as part of the Canadian Reduced Gravity Experiment (CAN-RGX), they are now pioneering the first citizen research glacial program with Rockaboo Mountain Adventures and Parks Canada on the Athabasca Glacier, while also participating in the Canadian Analog Research Experiment (CAN-ARX). She is also helps manage the stratospheric balloon competition for SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) Canada and is a proud 2021 Zenith Fellow.

Makenna is focused on continuing a career in research to push the limits of knowledge in aerospace beyond the stars. She also hopes to write more songs about space and embark on new adventures, including obtaining her pilots license and exploring our skies. As a Brooke Owens 2024 fellow, she is grateful and excited to be part of such a vibrant and innovative community.