The revolution starts here: How launch is changing?

With almost 30 years in the UK Government, Martina has deep expertise in leading strategic delivery across defence, space, security and digital portfolios, both in the UK and internationally. Martina is currently a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Defence. Prior to this she worked as a UK Government Advisor at the European Space Agency (ESA) in Germany, advising ESA on delivery of the Space Safety Programme (Space Weather, Planetary Defence and Space Debris), Mission Operations Infrastructure Projects, and strategic transformation Initiatives. Martina is also the Lead of APM’s International Space Sector Interest Network, and UK representative for the International Project Management Committee within the International Astronautical Federation. She is a Chartered Project Professional, Fellow of APM, and a Senior Practitioner for the National Infrastructure Service Transformation Authority (NISTA). 

As the APM International Space Sector Interest Network Lead, World Space Week is an opportunity to reflect on what truly makes ambitious space missions possible. This year’s theme, “Rocket Revolution”, captures a sector being transformed by new technologies and an expanding international space community. Yet every successful mission reminds us that technology alone is never enough. Behind the launch are people managing complexity, navigating uncertainty, making critical decisions and bringing diverse teams together around a shared purpose. Project management and leadership are what turn possibility into progress and ambition into mission success. 

The future of space will be increasingly international, interconnected and collaborative. The challenges we seek to address, from exploration and scientific discovery to sustainability, resilience and the benefits that space brings to life on Earth, extend far beyond any single organisation, sector or country. They demand leaders who can work across cultures, disciplines and organisational boundaries; who can combine innovation with disciplined delivery; and who understand that trust, collaboration and shared learning are as important to mission success as technical excellence.  

Through the APM International Space Sector Interest Network, our ambition is to help build that global community of project professionals: connecting people, sharing experience and strengthening the project, programme and portfolio capabilities that will enable the next era of space exploration and innovation. As an advocate for improving the equity, diversity, and inclusion in the space sector, I’m particularly passionate about increasing the number of females working within the space sector and in project and programme management roles. This has been a focus of mine throughout my career, and I often speak at conferences and events to promote the space sector, promote the project delivery profession, and shine a spotlight on the importance of increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

Throughout World Space Week, we will continue that theme with a series of contributions from across our network. I am particularly looking forward to a podcast with ESA reserve astronaut Meganne Christian, offering a perspective from someone who has experienced first-hand the ambition, teamwork and leadership at the heart of the space sector. We will also bring the week to a close with a World Space Week quiz, providing an opportunity for our community to come together, test its space knowledge and celebrate the week. I hope these activities inspire people not simply to observe the Rocket Revolution, but to consider the role each of us can play in shaping it. Rockets may carry our ambitions into space, but it is people, international collaboration and exceptional project leadership that will determine how far those ambitions can take us. 

The International Space Sector Interest Network’s goal is to ‘facilitate a diverse and inclusive international forum that collectively advances space project management worldwide.’ This not only acknowledges the unique challenges of space projects and programmes but also emphasises the importance of promoting and building the specialised project delivery skills that we need in the space sector, forging a multi-lateral alliance among space agencies, governments, industry, and academia, and improving the performance and delivery confidence of our projects and programmes to enable mission success.