About Team

Ewan is the Founder & CEO of Mission Control. Prior to founding Mission Control, Ewan was a subsystem design lead for the development of three rover prototypes for the CSA. He was a mission controller for ten of the last twelve Space Shuttle missions at Mission Control at NASA JSC and conducted numerous pre-mission launch pad tests at NASA KSC. He has also supported flight programs for ESA and JAXA. Ewan has degrees in Electrical Engineering and Economics from Queen’s University, a Master’s degree in Technology Innovation Management at Carleton University and is an alumnus and adjunct faculty member at the International Space University. Ewan has published multiple opinion pieces on Canada’s role in space exploration in the Globe and Mail. Ewan is treasurer and serves on the board of directors for Space Canada. Ewan is committed to inspiring the next generation to always keep exploring.

As Chief Technology Officer at Mission Control, Michele leads all technology development activities and R&D initiatives. Michele has broad engineering leadership experience, having led interdisciplinary engineering projects from concept to production across military, aeronautical and space applications. Michele’s research expertise is in robotic and planetary mobility. He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Carleton University. When not spending time with his young family, you can find Mic in the Gatineau hills on a pair of skis or pedaling hard on his bicycle.

As Chief Exploration Scientist, Melissa guides technology development to meet the needs of scientists, and conducts mission operations research. As a planetary geologist, she has led more than 10 human and robotic mission simulations with CSA, NASA, Western University, and others in Moon and Mars analogue environments around the world. Melissa is an Adjunct Faculty member at both Western University and the International Space University. She obtained her Ph.D. (Planetary Geology) from Western University, and holds a diploma in University Teaching and a M.Sc. (Geology) from the University of New Brunswick. In her spare time, Mel likes to hike, canoe, do yoga, and spend time with her family.

Samara is the Vice President of AI & Space Products at Mission Control and has a unique background spanning business strategy, analytics, physics and product innovation. Samara holds a PhD from the University of Oxford, and MSc degrees in Physics and Mathematics from the University of British Columbia. She is an innovator at heart, having applied AI and predictive analytics across disciplines and industries, including space, biotech, tech and banking. Outside of work, she enjoys running and hiking.

Yolanda is the Vice President of Programs and Operations at Mission Control where she provides the programmatic execution expertise to support the success of Mission Controls’ strategic goals. She has over 20 years of experiences in the space industry and has been involved with projects through all phases, from pre-phase 0 studies through design and development to commissioning and on-orbit operations. Previous programs include RapidEye, an optical Earth Observation 5-satellite constellation, Sapphire, a space surveillance small satellite and as well as numerous projects using AI / ML to improve performance and reduce operator loading. Yolanda holds a BEng (Aerospace) from Carleton University and has been a certified PMP member since 2015. Away from work she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and baking (particularly cupcakes), and travelling.

As Vice President of Engineering, Operations and Quality, Nick leverages his background in automotive, defense and aerospace industries, to ensure that engineering discipline, attention to detail, and superior quality are kept at the forefront of all programs at Mission Control.  Nick has lead teams in the development of equipment for several space agencies, including CSA, NASA, and ESA, working on the delivery of cameras, LiDAR systems and rovers. Nick holds a MSc from Queens University and a BASc  from the University of Waterloo in Systems Design Engineering, and is a licensed Professional Engineer.  Nick is an enthusiastic and energetic and individual, who enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his family hiking, jogging, biking or skiing.

Peter Visscher is the Vice President of Rovers at Mission Control.  After graduating with an engineering degree from Western University in 2007, he has developed numerous off-road and off-planet vehicles for various industries and customers.  Since designing and building his first lunar rover for the CSA in 2009, Peter was the lead engineer on numerous space exploration rover prototypes ranging in size from 25kg to over 1,200kg.  Additionally, Peter led the design and testing of seven generations of a lunar rover wheels.  Peter also was co-Chief Engineer for Canada’s first lunar rover flight program and contributed to numerous concept studies and field deployments for CSA, ESA, and NASA.  Peter commercialized much of the rover technology into terrestrial vehicles, focusing mainly on electric, amphibious, and/or robotic platforms.  He lives in a house by a lake and enjoys outdoor activities such as biking, snowmobiling, motorcycling, and driving his lawn tractor around.

Vinita Marwaha Madill is a Project Manager at Mission Control, and brings her background as a space operations engineer and Founder of Rocket Women, a STEM advocacy platform. Previously, Vinita has worked as a European Space Agency (ESA) contractor focused on human spaceflight operations for future projects, including the European Robotic Arm. At ESA’s European Astronaut Centre, Vinita helped design the SkinSuit and conducted a study on future spacesuit design and operations for lunar exploration. Vinita studied Mathematics and Physics with Astrophysics at King’s College London and went on to gain master’s degrees in Space Management from the International Space University (ISU) and in Astronautics and Space Engineering from Cranfield University, UK.

Kaizad is the Senior Manager of Business Development at Mission Control. Kaizad leads our product and business development strategies to help solve some of our partners and customers’ challenges in spaceflight mission development and operations. He brings a background in robotics and space industry knowledge to help shape how our computing technologies and web-based user interfaces can improve the user experience of developers, planetary scientists, and operators of missions in space and on Earth. Kaizad has a B.Sc. and M.A.Sc. in aerospace engineering at Purdue University and the University of Toronto respectively. Kaizad’s past experience includes leadership positions at Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, an international student-run space advocacy movement. Outside Mission Control HQ, Kaizad enjoys cooking, travelling, astro/landscape photography, hiking and climbing.

Adam is Mission Control’s Senior Manager, Space & Operations, developing project management structures and programmatic review of space projects and overseeing operations for our Mission Control Academy program. In the past, Adam has managed several CSA and ESA concept studies, and worked on the STS-114 mission, leading a team of analysts at NASA Johnson Space Center for maiden flight of LCS for on-orbit damage detection. Adam graduated with a B.Sc.(Hons) in Physics from the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Tanya Harrison is the Director of Earth and Planetary Science at Mission Control. She has worked as a scientist and mission operations specialist for cameras aboard multiple NASA missions to Mars over the past 16 years, including the Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance rovers, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. In addition to her role at Mission Control, she is a Fellow of the Outer Space Institute. Bridging worlds—as well as sectors in the space ecosystem—Tanya was previously the Director of Strategic Science Initiatives at Planet Labs, and the Director of Research for Arizona State University’s NewSpace Initiative. Committed to fostering the next generation of space professionals, Tanya is active in mentorship, education, and outreach initiatives. She serves on the Board of Advisors for Explore Mars and Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), and the Finance Committee the American Geophysical Union. She is also a co-founder of the Zed Factor Fellowship, an initiative to increase diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the aerospace sector through paid internship opportunities, mentorship, and community engagement for students from historically excluded backgrounds in STEM. Tanya holds a Ph.D. in Geology with a Specialization in Planetary Science and Exploration from Western University, a Master’s in Earth and Environmental Science from Wesleyan University, and a B.Sc. in Astronomy and Physics from the University of Washington. She is the recipient of two NASA Group Achievement Awards, a two-time Amelia Earhart Fellow, and was awarded the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Canada’s most prestigious doctoral fellowship for research and leadership during her time at Western.  

Luis is a Principal Software Engineer at Mission Control. He brings many years of broad industry experience, ranging from embedded real-time software to distributed server-side software. Luis led the development of a pioneering agricultural UAV, co-founded a company focused on modular embedded systems and helped build and scale a product at a software startup all the way to acquisition. His academic background is in Computer Science, with a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. from the University of São Paulo. In his spare time, Luis likes to spend time with his loved ones and learn about life, the universe and everything.

Andrew is a Director of AI & Autonomy at Mission Control where he advances artificial intelligence technologies and products. With a background in aerospace and nanotechnology his expertise spans anomaly detection, imaging spectroscopy, and remote sensing data analysis. Andrew holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia (Physics) and a BSc from the University of Waterloo (Mathematical Physics). On weekends you can find him hiking, canoeing, or in a tent with a paperback.

Emily joins Mission Control with 10 years of experience working behind the scenes supporting technology start-ups, helping small and medium-sized enterprises navigate government and industry partnerships, the early days of hiring, and everything in between. As the Manager of Business Operations, Emily will oversee the office management as we navigate the next phase of growth for Mission Control.

Candice is the Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications at Mission Control and brings 10+ years of experience in marketing and communications to the team. Prior to joining Mission Control, Candice has worked with various tech companies; helping them expand their overall message and reach new and existing markets through public relations, social media and other communication strategies. Away from work she enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors.

Matt is the lead of Planetary Robotics Research & Strategy at Mission Control. He attained his Ph.D. from Western University, along with bachelors and masters degrees in aerospace engineering at Carleton University. His past academic projects and collaborations include the Barefoot Rover project with JPL, the Kapvik rover protype at Carleton, analogue mission campaigns, and managing the Ukpik-1 CubeSat project at Western. Matt has worked at ESA as a systems engineer and project coordinator. Matt enjoys spending time in the kitchen.

Alan is a Principal Systems Engineer at Mission Control. He has spent the past 15+ years leading software teams for both operational software delivery and R&D efforts across various space-focused domains, but especially in the exploitation of Earth Observation datasets from space-based RADAR imaging missions. His past projects include the Department of National Defence Polar Epsilon and Polar Epsilon 2 projects for space-based Near Real-Time Ship Detection and AIS association, concept development and prototyping activities for the Canadian Space Agency in AI / Deep Learning for Earth Observation, and for deep-space healthcare using Augmented Reality. Alan holds a B.Eng (Computer Systems) from Carleton University and an ARCT in piano performance. He can often be found either building things with his children, fixing old vehicles or generally enjoying the great outdoors.

Ben is a systems engineer at Mission Control with over 10 years of experience in developing off-road and off-planet vehicles across various industries, including space exploration, defence, and robotics. He holds a master’s degree in Material Science Engineering from Université de La Rochelle in France. Ben has played a key role in several space exploration mobility projects with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), contributing to mobility platforms ranging from micro (30 kg) to large (2000 kg) systems. Notably, he served as the Mobility Lead on CSA’s first rover flight mission, LRM. Additionally, Ben has been involved in the mechanical design of commercialized rover platforms used for industrial and defence applications. Originally from France, Ben is embracing Canadian culture by learning to play hockey and indulging in poutine.

Jenn is the Director Financial Operations at Mission Control where she provides expertise on financial record keeping and government funding to support the success of Mission Controls’ strategic goals. Jenn has provided finance support for the last 17 years for a variety of industries including renewable energy development, SAAS projects, small business M&A advising, energy production and oil and gas exploration. Originally from Calgary, Jenn has called Ottawa home since 2018. Out of the office Jenn keeps busy with her young family. She enjoys spending time playing volleyball, biking, and reading and always has a paint by numbers project in progress at home.

Kent is a Principal Engineer at Mission Control. With extensive experience leading full-stack development efforts, he’s helped scale several SaaS products and teams, including ones through to acquisition and IPO.  His broad software engineer experience includes technical leadership and engineering roles in legaltech, finance, and working on satellite groundstations (Radarsat-2 and the smallsat constellation RapidEye).

Becca works at Mission Control as an Embedded Software Engineer. They design, implement and deploy machine learning algorithms and autonomous systems for spacecraft. Prior to joining Mission Control, Becca worked doing research on control theory at Queen’s University, and on modeling networks in the human brain at Inria in France. Becca has a degree in Mathematics and Engineering from Queen’s University, specializing in Systems and Robotics, and a Masters degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of British Columbia.

Matthew works as an intermediate software engineer at Mission Control. He recently completed his MASc degree in computer engineering at the University of Waterloo. His research focused on using deep learning to implement an efficient uncertainty estimation method for 3D object detection. Previously he was a research engineer working on software development and integration for a University of Waterloo self-driving car project (UW Moose). Outside of work, Matthew enjoys listening to audiobooks and gaming.

Tim is an Intermediate Software Engineer at Mission Control. He recently completed his graduate studies in computer science at Lakehead University. His graduate research focused primarily on lightweight deep learning for monocular depth estimation. Tim previously worked at Radialis Medical providing software development support for medical imaging prototypes. Outside of work, Tim enjoys spending time with his golden retriever Lilly and his friends.

Chantelle Dubois is a Working Software Engineer at Mission Control. Prior to joining Mission Control, Chantelle was a Robotics Engineer at the Canadian Space Agency supporting space exploration robotics projects including Canadarm3 and the LEAP Rover Mission, focusing on the software and computational elements of those missions. She has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Manitoba, and is currently a part-time Masters of Applied Science student at Concordia University in the Aerospace Robotics Laboratory. In 2017, Chantelle had the honour of being on a five person Final Selection Committee for the Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Recruitment Campaign. In her free time, Chantelle reads, plays video games, and spends time with her partner and chihuahua.

Julia is an Intermediate Software Engineer at Mission Control. She recently completed her degree in Software Engineering from the University of Calgary. During university, she completed a 16-month internship with Canadian UAVs where she worked closely with flight radars to develop an airspace monitoring system. She later helped design an application to detect the location of Mode A/C aircraft using trilateration for her capstone project. Outside of work, Julia likes to paint and play board games.

Chris is an intermediate software engineer at Mission Control on the AI & Autonomy team. He holds a MASc degree in electrical and computer engineering from the the University of Waterloo, where his thesis research focused on domain adaptation techniques for LiDAR-based sensor observations for autonomous driving applications. Previously, he was a robotics software engineer at Ribbit developing device drivers in C++/ROS2 for an autonomous plane platform. Outside of work, Chris is an avid swimmer and practices hot yoga and calisthenics.

Thomas is a Software Engineer at Mission Control. He has a history of working as a software developer with a focus on web application development for the cloud. Thomas has built multiple full stack web applications, such as blockchain-based software licensing solutions, and orchestrating software for migrating legacy Windows Server applications at scale. Thomas has two college diplomas, one from Algonquin college for web development, where he graduated with honours; and one for computer science from Heritage College. Throughout his career, he was also responsible for the creation and maintenance of many aspects of cloud infrastructure, requiring a solid understanding of networking and security principles. Outside of work, Thomas enjoys working on his own home network and home server deployments

Craig is the Manager of Information Technology (IT) at Mission Control. With over 28 years of experience in IT operations, he has driven transformative advancements in system stability, sustainable standards implementation, and customer support across various industries. Before joining Mission Control, Craig led a team at Escher Group, supporting Canada’s largest postal service. Recently, he completed an MBA at the University of Fredericton. Outside of work, Craig enjoys cooking, snowboarding, and motorsports. 

Shannon is a Junior AI Specialist on the AI & Automation team at Mission Control, returning after previously completing a yearlong co-op placement as a Robotics/Software Engineer on Spacefarer’s product development team. She previously worked at an art-tech startup – Acrylic Robotics, where she led the development of digital drawing and robotic integration and worked with deep reinforcement learning models to enable robotically rendered realistic physical paintings. She recently obtained her Bachelor of Computer Science with Co-operative Education, from Carleton University. In her free time, Shannon enjoys playing guitar, going on hikes and exploring Ottawa’s local food scene

Alexis is an AI Specialist at Mission Control. Before joining Mission Control, he served as a Missions, Systems, and Software Specialist at Avalon Space. He earned his PhD and MESc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Western University, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Materials Science and Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University. During his time at Western, Alexis contributed to several projects focused on AI for space exploration, including a collaboration with JPL on the Barefoot Rover, rover deployments at the CSA’s Mars Yard, and an internship at Mission Control. Additionally, he was involved in Western’s Ukpik-1 Cubesat project and high-altitude balloon missions. Outside of work, Alexis enjoys playing music and participating in triathlon races.

Evaline Warmels is a Mechatronic Systems Engineer at Mission Control. She graduated from Western University’s engineering program in 2018. She got her first taste of mobility systems at ODG’s Space and Robotics division, working on their J5 and J8 platforms. Space beckoned after a post-graduation stint in industrial automation, commissioning the installations of large robotic manipulators (Fanuc). At Canadensys Aerospace, Evaline was the principal electrical engineer for a line of large robotic vehicles (HAWC, RAPTOR, LSEI), and small lunar rover prototypes (LSASP Micro-rover). She co-led the development of the power system for CSA’s first lunar rover flight mission and designed a multispectral imager for NASA’s Lunar Vertex mission.  

Riley is a Junior Robotics Engineer at Mission Control. He recently graduated the Aerospace Engineering at Carleton University where he has served as the president of the Carleton Planetary Robotics Team (CPRT) and various other roles within the Carleton Student Engineering Society. Riley has previously developed 3-phase motor inverters for Tesla, and autonomous robotic control interfaces for Rheinmetall-Provectus. His interests include hockey, cooking, and hiking. 

Nikhil is a Robotics/Software Engineering Co-op student at Mission Control. He will be entering his final year as an Engineering Science (Aerospace) student at the University of Toronto. He has previously interned at labs both at UofT and abroad, supporting research in robotics and machine learning. Nikhil is passionate about both space exploration and robot autonomy, and has contributed to the UofT Aerospace Team’s Rocketry and Space Systems divisions, as well as the university’s autonomous driving team. In his spare time, he enjoys mentoring his high school robotics team, cooking, and going on walks..

Sophie is an AI and Autonomy Co-Op Student at Mission Control. She is a student at Queen’s University studying Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering. Previously, she served as the director of autonomy on the Queen’s Autodrive team where she worked on controls and motion planning systems for a self-driving vehicle. After hours, Sophie likes to figure skate and play games.

Ian is a Robotics/Software Engineering Co-op Student at Mission Control where he works on the ML Pipeline, Tech Demo, and Cap Demo 2 projects as part of the Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy team. Ian is currently partaking in a 12-month co-op after his 3^rd year of study in Computer Engineering at University of Toronto. He has been Team Lead in several projects including a Tuberculosis detection and classification model for chest X-Rays. Outside of work, Ian enjoys cooking, mountain biking, and video games. 

Simone is a Robotics/Software Engineering Co-op Student at Mission Control. She will be entering her fourth year in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering at Queen’s University. Simone has received two NSERC USRA grants to perform research in the Intelligent Mining Systems and Mine Automation Lab, including working on robotic applications in dynamic underground mine environments. In her free time, Simone likes designing and making clothes, travelling and enjoying the outdoors, and reading.

Sujit is a Robotics/Software Engineering Co-op student at Mission Control. His previous work includes building a fully autonomous rover as part of the Autonomous Rover Team at UofT and excelling at the International Ground Vehicle Competition. He also has a keen interest in machine learning, having been involved in research classifying various Pulsatile Tinnitus sources for patients struggling with debilitating symptoms. In his leisure time Sujit likes to hike and enjoys cooking food from various cuisines.

James Brunet is a Mechatronics Systems Engineering student at Western University. Prior to joining Mission Control, he worked as a Mechanical Engineering Designer at Salford Group, where he developed custom mounting kits for agricultural equipment, performed FMEAs to address field failures, and created service documentation to support manufacturing and field operations. He also conducted patent research using AI tools to support innovation and IP strategy in machinery design. His academic projects include designing and building an autonomous scavenger robot that integrated mechanical design, sensor systems, and embedded control using Arduino. James brings a strong foundation in CAD, electronics, and embedded systems, with a growing focus on robotics and system integration. 

Anne has been passionate about space and aerospace from a young age. Anne holds an Honors in Business from The Ivey School of Business at Western University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She began her career as management consultant, also has experience managing strategic partnerships and supplier networks. Anne was on the founding team of Mission Control where she led initiatives under strategy and business operations. She currently is the co-founder and COO of a supply chain software built for the aerospace and defense, Stell. She currently resides in San Francisco, California.

Karl is an authority on robotics and autonomous vehicles whose opinion and commentary has been published and broadcast worldwide on Bloomberg, CNBC, BBC, and many other media outlets. As former director of the Robotic Mobility Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), his research resulted in more than 150 technical publications, 50 issued or filed patents, and numerous edited volumes, including books on the DARPA Grand Challenge and Urban Challenge autonomous vehicle competitions. Karl was named one of 2017’s “Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs” by Goldman Sachs and designated a member of the 2017 “Recode 100” list of technology influencers.

Karl holds MS and PhD degrees from MIT, where he was a National Science Foundation fellow, and a BS from the University of Michigan, where he graduated first in his class. Karl is also an award-winning author of fiction whose novels and short stories have been translated into seven languages. Karl is CEO of Motional, the autonomous driving joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv PLC. He has collaborated with Mission Control on multiple projects including the development of our Autonomous Soil Assessment System.

Christine completed a BASc in Engineering Science-Aerospace from the University of Toronto and Masters in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the MIT.

Christine has noteably worked with BAE, EADS Astrium Services, and was appointed Vice President for Research and Technology and Chief Technology Officer for the US arm of Airbus Group, Inc. At Airbus, Christine helped determine the technology needs of all business lines in the US and for delivered US-based research for the entire company.

Christine now focuses on organisational topics related to innovation and engineering. Through her company, CATx Technology, she also as a consultant to Toronto area technology start-ups on technology road mapping, strategy and organisational design. Christine is a member of Canada’s Space Advisory Board, which provides advice on Canada’s space strategy to the Minister for Industry, Science and Economic Development. She also sits on the Department of National Defence (DND) Independent Review Panel for Defence Acquisition and is a mentor for the Space stream at the University of Toronto’s Rotman Business School Creative Destruction Lab.