SINGAPORE \u2013 When Dr Melissa Yang Martin first stepped into a remodelled aircraft designed for scientific missions in 2006, she felt as if she had been transported into a science-fiction film.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt reminded me of stepping onto the Starship Enterprise with the cables, computer screens, blinking lights and researchers stationed at their instruments, each one monitoring something different,\u201d said the Singaporean, referring to the fictional starship made famous in the Star Trek franchise.<\/p>\n
That moment, which happened when she was just 25 years old, would eventually set her apart as one of the few Singaporeans to work at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), one of the world\u2019s leading space agencies, in a field dominated by major powers<\/span><\/a> such as the US and China.<\/p>\n Singapore\u2019s own space industry is still in a nascent stage<\/span><\/a>. It now comprises about 70 companies and 2,000 professionals, with momentum building ahead of the launch of a National Space Agency<\/span><\/a> on April 1.<\/p>\n Dr Yang Martin\u2019s unexpected entry into the field began far from home, on board a research flight on an aircraft unlike anything she had seen before.<\/p>\n Then a graduate student in atmospheric chemistry at the University of California, Irvine, she had been on track for pre-medicine or veterinary science. But an opportunity came when her PhD adviser, Dr Donald Blake, who was funded by NASA to participate in airborne field campaigns that measured gases in the atmosphere, got her involved as part of his team.<\/p>\n Before she knew it, she found herself part of a NASA-led field mission called Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment \u2013 Phase B, where the goal was to study how pollution travels from Asia across the Pacific, and how it affects air quality in North America.<\/p>\n Dr Yang Martin recalled the aircraft she stepped into in 2006. Once a commercial Douglas DC-8 jetliner, it had been modified by NASA in the 1980s into a flying laboratory for studying Earth\u2019s surface and atmosphere.<\/p>\n Instead of passengers, the cabin was packed with instrument racks. Metal plates lined the windows, fitted with probes, while openings in the top and bottom of the aircraft allowed sensors to peer down at Earth or up into the stratosphere.<\/p>\n As scientists tracked real-time streams of gases \u2013 including ozone, nitrogen dioxide and hydrocarbons \u2013 Dr Yang Martin watched a picture of the atmosphere take shape, one impossible to capture from the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cThe team is in constant discussion about what we\u2019re seeing and whether we need to adjust the flight path to chase an evolving feature or capture a phenomenon unfolding around us.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a dynamic, fast-paced and incredibly stimulating environment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The mission changed the trajectory of her career.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing part of that mission helped me see that the work I was doing at NASA resonated with me on a deeper level. I felt connected to something that could benefit people everywhere and for generations to come. The data we collected would be preserved indefinitely and used to advance our understanding of the planet,\u201d said Dr Yang Martin.<\/p>\n Today, the 45-year-old has been working with NASA for the past 15 years. Her experience as a graduate student supporting NASA field missions opened the door for her to continue with the space agency as a researcher.<\/p>\n Between 2006 and 2023, Dr Yang Martin continued to participate in airborne missions to study gases in the atmosphere. She had been involved in at least 10 field campaigns, flying over countries like Argentina, Costa Rica and Greenland, with each campaign requiring multiple trips ranging from one week to two months.<\/p>\n Dr Melissa Yang Martin with NASA scientist Glen Sachse aboard NASA\u2019s DC-8 in 2009, when Dr Sachse was guiding her in the use of an instrument for measuring carbon monoxide.<\/p>\n PHOTO: COURTESY OF MELISSA YANG MARTIN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Since 2024, she has been based at NASA headquarters in Washington, where she works as a programme manager responsible for acquiring commercial satellite data for the space agency.<\/p>\n NASA uses the data to complement its satellite missions, improving how it monitors Earth and supports applications such as disaster response and environmental management.<\/p>\n \u201cMy work ensures that NASA scientists have access to the best possible data \u2013 both government and commercial \u2013 to monitor our atmosphere, land and oceans, and to support research, applications and decision-making that benefit society,\u201d said Dr Yang Martin.<\/p>\n Dr Melissa Yang Martin integrating a scientific instrument used to measure water vapour on a NASA B200 aircraft in 2011.<\/p>\n PHOTO: COURTESY OF MELISSA YANG MARTIN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Now married with two children, Dr Yang Martin said she never thought she would end up working in the space sector, but her passion in science led her there.<\/p>\n Her first love was chemistry, even as a young pupil at Methodist Girls\u2019 School.<\/p>\n While she struggled academically during her first year at Anglo-Chinese Junior College and had to repeat the year, she continued to excel in the subject.<\/p>\n \u201cI gravitated towards the lab. Doing experiments felt like a creative process \u2013 it was how I understood the world,\u201d said Dr Yang Martin.<\/p>\n At 19, after junior college, Dr Yang Martin moved to the United States to pursue chemistry.<\/p>\n She attended Drew University in New Jersey and read chemistry for four years before doing her PhD at the University of California, Irvine, where she had that fateful opportunity to join NASA-led airborne research missions.<\/p>\n Dr Melissa Yang Martin giving a welcome talk to the 2018 NASA Student Airborne Research Program class at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center.<\/p>\n PHOTO: COURTESY OF MELISSA YANG MARTIN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n To Singaporeans who think a career in the space industry is out of reach, Dr Yang Martin said: \u201cYou don\u2019t have to start in space to end up in space \u2013 many of us came from chemistry, physics, computer science, policy or entirely different fields.\u201d<\/p>\n She added: \u201cMy own path is proof that as long as you follow your passion, work hard and stay connected to the community, opportunities will come.\u201d<\/p>\n She also pointed out that space missions are diverse and rely on many different types of expertise beyond that of scientists and engineers.<\/p>\n \u201cMissions also depend on programme and project managers, data analysts, communicators, policy experts, software developers, resource and budget managers, acquisition specialists and people skilled in operations, logistics, education and outreach. Every role is essential to mission success,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n She said that those interested in entering the global space sector should follow developments in Earth observation, satellite technology and commercial space ventures.<\/p>\n They should also attend related workshops or talks, participate in internships if available, and connect with universities and agencies working in space research, she said.<\/p>\n Skills that can open doors in a global space arena include data science, remote sensing, engineering, atmospheric science, computer science, project management and analytical research skills, she added.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most important thing is to follow what excites you. Passion, persistence and a willingness to explore opportunities can take you farther than you imagine \u2013 sometimes even all the way to NASA,\u201d said Dr Yang Martin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>
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