Aerospace Technician • Rocketry Educator • Founder, Christchurch Rocketeers
Simon Willoughby-Martin is an aerospace technician and rocketry educator with hands-on experience in New Zealand’s space industry. During his time at Rocket Lab, Simon worked on the assembly and testing of launch vehicle systems, including hardware supporting the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon.
He is the founder and president of Christchurch Rocketeers, an educational charity and community rocketry club creating pathways into aerospace and STEM, particularly for young people who might not otherwise have access to these opportunities. He has also worked with MOTAT to establish and deliver Rocket Club programmes and is a Wonder Project Ambassador with Engineering New Zealand, using practical rocketry to help students explore engineering and Newton’s laws.
Through It’s Not Rocket Science, Simon designs and delivers hands-on rocketry experiences in which students learn the principles behind flight, build their own rockets, test their ideas and launch them. He has also organised large aerospace and STEM events bringing together thousands of young people, educators and members of New Zealand’s aerospace community.
Simon brings real engineering experience into the learning environment, showing students that rocketry isn’t something that only happens overseas. It is something they can understand, build and become part of here in Aotearoa.
