Pedro Duque

Pedro Francisco Duque Duque, OF, OMSE (born Madrid, 14 March 1963) is a Spanish astronaut and aeronautics engineer who served as Minister of Science from 2018 to 2021 and member of the Congress of Deputies, representing Alicante, from May 2019 until February 2020.

Since December 2023, he has been the chair of Hispasat.

Biography

Early life and education

He was born in Madrid in 1963. His father was an air traffic controller and his mother a school teacher; both were from Badajoz. In 1986, Duque earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. In 1986, he worked for GMV and for the European Space Agency (ESA) for six years before being selected as a candidate to become an astronaut in 1992.

Astronaut

Duque underwent training in both Russia and the United States. His first spaceflight was as a mission specialist aboard Space Shuttle mission STS-95, during which Duque supervised ESA experimental modules. In October 2003, Duque visited the International Space Station on board a Soyuz TMA Ship for several days during a crew changeover. The name designated by ESA/Spain for the scientific program of this visit was Misión Cervantes.

University and business

In 2003, he started working at UPM School of Aeronautical Engineers as head of operations of the Spanish USOC, also lecturing students on space science and operations.

In 2006, Duque was named managing director (CEO) of Deimos Imaging, a private company, that in 2009 put in orbit the first Spanish earth observation satellite (Deimos 1) for application in agriculture, forestry wildfire detection and control. In 2011, he was named executive president of the company.