IRVINE, Calif., and TORINO, Italy — Terran Orbital, a prominent Lockheed Martin company and a global leader in satellite-based solutions primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries, has announced a significant leadership transition within its European division. The company officially promoted Margherita Cardi to the position of Vice President of European Operations and Head of Strategic Programs, effective September 17, 2026.
In her newly expanded role, Cardi steps into the position of senior-most operational leader for Terran Orbital’s entire European organization. She will oversee all local functions, operational departments, and strategic initiatives based in Italy. Cardi will report directly to Peter Krauss, who serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Terran Orbital while also maintaining his responsibilities as the Managing Director of Tyvak International, the company’s European subsidiary.
The leadership appointment marks a milestone for both Cardi and the organization, reflecting a decade of sustained growth, technological maturation, and increasing market presence across Europe.
A Decade of Growth and Leadership Within Tyvak International
Margherita Cardi’s journey with Tyvak International mirrors the trajectory of the company itself. Having joined the firm in 2016 as only its third employee, Cardi has spent the last ten years growing alongside the organization, steadily ascending through positions of increasing responsibility and operational scope. Over the past decade, she has worked across nearly every foundational pillar of the business, holding pivotal roles in systems engineering, program management, business development, and executive leadership. Prior to her promotion to Vice President of European Operations and Head of Strategic Programs, Cardi served as the Vice President of Programs and Business Development, where she successfully directed the program management, business development, and systems engineering divisions.
Peter Krauss, reflecting on Cardi’s longstanding dedication and institutional knowledge, praised her deep familiarity with the company’s internal culture and external stakeholder network.
"Margherita has been an important part of Tyvak International almost from the beginning, and she has grown as a leader alongside the organization," said Krauss. "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."
Throughout her extensive tenure, Cardi has anchored the execution of Tyvak International’s most demanding programs, playing a particularly central role in managing relationships and fulfilling contracts for major European institutional customers. Under her guidance, the company has successfully secured and executed high-profile contracts with premier space authorities, including the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, alongside a robust portfolio of commercial clients.
Spearheading Pioneering Planetary Defense Missions
Among the most notable accomplishments of Cardi’s career is her leadership of the Milani program. Milani is a specialized CubeSat developed specifically to support the European Space Agency’s Hera planetary defense mission. As the Milani Program Manager, Cardi oversaw the comprehensive development, testing, and ultimate delivery of the spacecraft for this pioneering deep-space endeavor.
The primary objective of the Hera mission is to study the Didymos binary asteroid system in unprecedented detail. The Hera spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the Didymos system in late 2026. Following its arrival, the Milani CubeSat is expected to be released in early 2027 to execute close-proximity observations and support the broader scientific investigation into the asteroid system’s composition and behavior. The successful management of the Milani project has underscored Tyvak International’s capability to deliver sophisticated, high-reliability spacecraft capable of operating in deep space environments far beyond Earth’s orbit.
Reflecting on her journey and the evolution of the enterprise, Cardi expressed profound pride in the milestones achieved by the European team over the past decade.
"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 said. "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."
Extensive Technical Background and Industry Presence
Cardi brings a wealth of technical expertise, organizational leadership experience, and strategic vision to her new post. In addition to her executive responsibilities, she has served as a prominent ambassador for Tyvak International across the global aerospace community. She has frequently represented the company at major industry events, delivered keynote presentations, participated in media engagements, and even shared her insights through a TEDx Talk, establishing herself as a respected voice in contemporary space engineering and program management.
Before joining Tyvak International in 2016, Cardi built a strong foundation in the aerospace sector working at Vitrociset S.p.A. In that capacity, she held critical program management and systems engineering roles supporting the Vega launch program. Her responsibilities included direct involvement in launch campaigns conducted at Europe’s Spaceport located in French Guiana, providing her with hands-on operational experience in complex launch environments.
Cardi’s academic background matches her professional credentials. She 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.
Strategic Outlook for Tyvak International and Terran Orbital
In her new capacity as Vice President of European Operations and Head of Strategic Programs, Cardi will maintain a direct focus on guiding Tyvak International’s operational footprint in Italy. Her mandate includes driving the seamless execution of ongoing European space programs while actively cultivating and strengthening relationships with institutional, governmental, and commercial customers across the continent.
While Cardi assumes top operational leadership of the European organization, Peter Krauss will maintain his position as Managing Director and legal corporate representative of Tyvak International, ensuring continuity and strategic alignment between the European subsidiary and its parent company, Terran Orbital.
Terran Orbital continues to solidify its position as a premier provider of mission-critical satellite solutions for the global aerospace and defense sectors. Through its end-to-end capabilities—which span comprehensive spacecraft design, agile production, rigorous integration and testing, and advanced mission operations—the company addresses the rigorous demands of modern space architectures. Through the specialized capabilities of Tyvak International based in Torino, Italy, Terran Orbital maintains an enduring, vital presence in the European space market, bridging domestic innovation with global aerospace objectives.
