Terran Orbital Promotes Margherita Cardi to Vice President of European Operations & Head of Strategic Programs

IRVINE, California, and TORINO, Italy — Terran Orbital Corporation, a prominent Lockheed Martin company and a recognized global leader in satellite-based solutions tailored for the aerospace and defense sectors, has officially announced the promotion of Margherita Cardi to the dual role of Vice President of European Operations and Head of Strategic Programs.

In her newly expanded capacity, Cardi will step into the senior-most operational leadership position for Terran Orbital’s entire European organizational footprint. Based out of the company’s Torino, Italy facilities, she will take complete command of all local functions, departments, and cross-functional teams. Cardi will report directly to Peter Krauss, who serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Terran Orbital while maintaining his crucial responsibilities as the Managing Director of Tyvak International, Terran Orbital’s European subsidiary.

The strategic appointment underscores Terran Orbital’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its European infrastructure, deepening relationships with institutional and commercial partners, and accelerating the delivery of high-stakes space missions. As the global small-satellite market becomes increasingly competitive and heavily reliant on rapid, reliable deployment, placing a seasoned veteran at the helm of European operations signals a clear push toward operational maturity and regional expansion.

A Decennial Journey of Leadership and Engineering Excellence

Margherita Cardi’s elevation to the executive suite is the culmination of a decade-long career characterized by rigorous engineering execution, adept program management, and visionary leadership within Tyvak International. Cardi originally joined the company in 2016 as its third official employee. Over the span of ten years, she grew alongside the enterprise, navigating successive waves of industry transformation and technological advancement.

During her tenure, Cardi assumed roles of escalating responsibility that spanned the vital pillars of the aerospace industry, including systems engineering, advanced program management, strategic business development, and executive administration. Immediately prior to her promotion to Vice President of European Operations, she served as the Vice President of Programs and Business Development, where she successfully directed multidisciplinary teams responsible for driving commercial growth and ensuring technical delivery across complex orbital architectures.

Her early trajectory within the company placed her at the forefront of Tyvak International’s rise from a nimble, ambitious startup into a trusted institutional partner. Peter Krauss reflected on this evolution when announcing her promotion, highlighting her institutional knowledge and proven capability in high-pressure environments.

"Margherita has been an important part of Tyvak International almost from the beginning, and she has grown as a leader alongside the organization," Krauss stated. "She understands our customers, our programs and, most importantly, our people. She has proven that she can lead complex missions, build strong relationships with our institutional partners and bring teams together to execute. I am confident she is the right person to lead our European team through this next chapter."

Pioneering Deep-Space and Planetary Defense Missions

While Cardi’s administrative and business development acumen has driven substantial commercial growth, her technical leadership on groundbreaking scientific missions has cemented her reputation within the broader European aerospace community. Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in securing and executing high-profile contracts with major governmental bodies, most notably the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

Among her most notable achievements is her leadership role in the Milani program. Milani is an advanced CubeSat developed specifically for ESA’s Hera planetary defense mission—a pioneering deep-space initiative designed to study the Didymos binary asteroid system. As the Milani Program Manager, Cardi oversaw the rigorous development, qualification, and ultimate delivery of the spacecraft.

The Hera mission, which represents Europe’s first probe to rendezvous with a binary asteroid system, is scheduled to arrive at the Didymos system in late 2026. Following arrival, the Milani CubeSat is slated for release in early 2027. Once deployed, it will perform critical close-proximity scientific investigations, analyzing the surface composition, structure, and dust environment of the asteroid. Managing such an intricate deep-space endeavor requires navigating stringent planetary protection protocols, precise trajectory planning, and intense multi-agency coordination—challenges that Cardi successfully steered through to delivery.

Reflecting on her journey and the road ahead, Cardi emphasized the collective achievements of the European team.

"Being part of Tyvak International since its early days and seeing what this team has built over the past 10 years has been an incredible experience," Cardi remarked. "We have grown from a small team with an ambitious vision into an organization trusted to execute highly complex missions for some of Europe’s most important customers. I am proud of what we have accomplished together and excited to take on this responsibility as we continue growing our capabilities, strengthening our customer relationships and delivering the missions ahead."

Academic Background and Early Aerospace Career

Cardi’s technical foundation is rooted in rigorous academic training and early hands-on aerospace engineering experience. Before joining the Tyvak International team in 2016, she honed her expertise at Vitrociset S.p.A., an established Italian aerospace contractor. During her time at Vitrociset, she held specialized roles in program management and systems engineering directly supporting the Vega launch vehicle program. This included participating in critical launch campaigns at Europe’s Spaceport located in Kourou, French Guiana—an environment demanding absolute precision and adherence to strict safety and operational standards.

Her academic credentials further complement her practical experience. Cardi holds a Master’s degree in Space Engineering as well as a second-level Master’s degree in Space Systems and Services, both earned from the prestigious Sapienza University of Rome. Beyond her engineering and managerial duties, she has actively contributed to public outreach and industry thought leadership, representing Tyvak International through keynote presentations, media engagements, and a widely recognized TEDx Talk aimed at inspiring the next generation of space engineers.

Strategic Implications and Corporate Structure

Under the new operational framework, Cardi will take direct charge of daily operations in Italy, driving the execution of ongoing and future European programs while actively cultivating deeper ties with institutional, government, and commercial stakeholders. Meanwhile, Peter Krauss will maintain his position as Managing Director and legal corporate representative of Tyvak International, ensuring continuity in governance while allowing Cardi to focus on operational scale and strategic program delivery.

This leadership transition occurs at a pivotal time for Terran Orbital and its subsidiaries. As global demand for resilient, high-performance small satellites surges—driven by shifting defense requirements and expanding commercial constellations—the ability to seamlessly integrate spacecraft design, production, and mission operations is paramount. By empowering local leadership with deep technical roots, Terran Orbital aims to reinforce its competitive positioning within the European market.

About Terran Orbital Corporation

Terran Orbital is a leading global provider of satellite-based solutions primarily serving the vital needs of the aerospace and defense industries. The company offers comprehensive, end-to-end mission capabilities that encompass every phase of the satellite lifecycle, including spacecraft design, advanced production, assembly, integration, rigorous environmental testing, and ongoing mission operations.

Through its Torino-based subsidiary, Tyvak International, Terran Orbital maintains a formidable footprint within the European space ecosystem. Tyvak International leverages this strategic European presence to deliver cutting-edge nanosatellite and microsatellite solutions tailored to the exacting standards of institutional space agencies, national defense ministries, and commercial enterprises alike.