Dr. Tanya Harrison is a planetary scientist, future-focused science strategist, author, and one of the world’s go-to voices on Mars and space exploration. She is currently a Fellow of the Outer Space Institute and the Director of Earth and Space Science at Mission Control in Ottawa, Canada.
Every morning for years, Dr. Tanya Harrison woke up and explored an entire planet. Not through a telescope pointed at distant lights, but intimately with a camera orbiting Mars under her photographic control—examining every eroded crater, every ancient channel, every windswept dune on the Red Planet. Few humans in history can claim such a relationship with another world.
This “Professional Martian” has spent her career dancing between worlds. She’s guided rovers across alien landscapes, watched our changing Earth from satellites in space, and bridged the often-disconnected realms of academia, industry, and government. From working in science and mission operations for NASA’s most ambitious Mars missions to directing science strategy at multiple space startups, she’s seen the space sector from just about every angle you can imagine.
Tanya believes that wonder is humanity’s superpower, and scientists are simply professional wonderers who’ve turned their curiosity into a career. Through her talks, she takes audiences on the emotional rollercoaster of discovery—the frustration when rovers get stuck, the euphoria when data reveals ancient secrets, the profound moment when you realize you’re reading another world’s history, written in its rocks.
As a petite, vibrantly queer scientist with signature colourful glasses who publicly shares her journey battling Crohn’s Disease and Ankylosing Spondylitis, Tanya proves that science doesn’t come with a standard-issue lab coat. She co-founded the Zed Factor Fellowship and the Women in Space Conference, and is an active mentor for other student-focused programs to ensure the next generation of space explorers looks more like the beautifully diverse universe we’re trying to understand.
From National Geographic documentaries to BBC News segments, Tanya transforms complex space science into stories with impact. She’ll make you laugh about the absurdity of driving a car-sized robot on Mars from 200 million miles away at 2AM here on Earth, then leave you speechless contemplating our place in the cosmos.
In a universe whose scale defies human comprehension, Tanya reminds us that our capacity for wonder and our willingness to share it might just be our most profound cosmic connection.
For TV appearances, Tanya is represented by Past Preservers.
Academic biography:
Dr. Tanya Harrison started out her career as a “Professional Martian,” working in science and mission operations on multiple NASA missions to Mars, including the Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance rovers, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Bridging worlds, as well as sectors in the space ecosystem, Tanya was previously the Director of Strategic Science Initiatives, and later Director of Science for Impact, at the Earth observation satellite and data company Planet, and the Director of Research for Arizona State University’s NewSpace Initiative. She is currently a Fellow of the Outer Space Institute and Director of Earth and Space Science at Mission Control.
Tanya holds a Ph.D. in Geology with a Specialization in Planetary Science and Exploration from the University of Western Ontario. There, her research focused on the formation and evolution of features on Mars called gullies, and what they can tell us about the recent climate history of the Red Planet. She also holds a Masters in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Wesleyan University where she studied spectroscopy of hydrated minerals on Mars, and a B.Sc. in Astronomy and Physics from the University of Washington where she studied the metallicity of star clusters and recurring novae systems. Her honours include two NASA Group Achievement Awards, the Amelia Earhart Fellowship for women in aerospace and the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Canada’s most prestigious doctoral award. She was also named one of Via Satellite’s Young People to Watch of 2018, and a Future Space Leader in 2019. In 2023, she was inducted into The Explorers Club as part of the EC50 list, an annual selection of “extraordinary people who are doing remarkable work to promote science and exploration.”