Pedro Duque Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Duque and the second or maternal family name is Duque.

Quick facts for kids The Most Excellent Pedro Duque OF OMSE
Duque in January 2000

Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities
In office 7 June 2018 – 12 July 2021
Prime Minister	Pedro Sánchez
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Diana Morant
Member of the Congress of Deputies
In office 21 May 2019 – 21 February 2020
Constituency	Alicante

Personal details
Born	(1963-03-14) 14 March 1963 (age 62) Madrid, Spain
Political party	Independent
Occupation	Flight engineer
Awards	Grand Cross of Aeronautical Merit Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation Member of the Order of Friendship (Russian Federation) Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"

Status	Retired
Space career
ESA astronaut
Time in space	18d 18h 46min
Selection	1992 ESA Group
Missions	STS-95, Soyuz TMA-3/2
Mission insignia

Pedro Francisco Duque Duque (born March 14, 1963) is a famous Spanish astronaut and aeronautics engineer. He also served as the Minister of Science for Spain from 2018 to 2021. From May 2019 to February 2020, he was a member of the Congress of Deputies, representing Alicante. Since December 2023, he has been the chairman of Hispasat, a Spanish satellite company.

Pedro Duque's Journey to Space
Awards and Honors
Images for kids
See also

Pedro Duque's Journey to Space

Early Life and Education

Pedro Duque was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1963. His father worked as an air traffic controller, and his mother was a school teacher. Both of his parents were from Badajoz.

In 1986, Pedro Duque earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. After graduating, he worked for a company called GMV. He also worked for the European Space Agency (ESA) for six years. In 1992, he was chosen to become an astronaut.

Becoming an Astronaut

Pedro Duque trained in both Russia and the United States to prepare for space. His first trip to space was on the Space Shuttle mission STS-95. During this mission, he was a mission specialist. He helped oversee special experiments for the ESA.

In October 2003, Pedro Duque visited the International Space Station. He traveled there on a Soyuz TMA ship. He stayed for several days during a crew change. This scientific program was called Misión Cervantes.

Working with Universities and Businesses

In 2003, Pedro Duque started working at the UPM School of Aeronautical Engineers. He was the head of operations for the Spanish USOC. He also taught students about space science and how space missions work.

In 2006, Duque became the Managing Director (CEO) of Deimos Imaging. This was a private company. In 2009, the company launched the first Spanish Earth observation satellite, called Deimos 1. This satellite helps with things like agriculture and finding wildfires. In 2011, he became the Executive President of the company.

Returning to the European Space Agency

In October 2011, Pedro Duque went back to work for the European Space Agency. He returned to his role as an astronaut. Until 2015, he led the Flight Operations Office. This meant he was in charge of ESA's activities on the International Space Station.

In 2016, Duque took part in ESA CAVES training. After that, he was responsible for reviewing future ESA crewed flights. This was part of the ESA's astronaut corps.

Serving as a Minister

In June 2018, Pedro Sánchez became the new Prime Minister of Spain. He chose Pedro Duque to be the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities. This was a very important job in the Spanish government.

In April 2019, Duque announced that his ministry would increase Spain's contribution to the European Space Agency. This meant Spain would give €701 million more between 2020 and 2026. This was to make sure Spain contributed fairly to space efforts.

Pedro Duque also ran in the Spanish general elections in April 2019 and November 2019. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Alicante. In January 2020, he was confirmed as the Minister of Science and Innovation. He resigned from Parliament on February 21, 2020, to focus on his role as minister.

In May 2022, he joined the strategic committee of Destinus. This company is working on a very fast hypersonic aircraft that uses liquid hydrogen. In December 2023, he was appointed as the chairman of Hispasat.

Awards and Honors

Pedro Duque has received many awards for his work:

Order Of Friendship of the Russian Federation (1995)
Grand Cross of Aeronautical Merit (1999)
Prince of Asturias Award of International Cooperation (1999)
Doctor Honoris Causa from the Technical University of Valencia (2005)
Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" from the Russian Federation (2011)
Doctor Honoris Causa from the European University of Madrid (2013)
Doctor Honoris Causa from the National University of Distance Education (2016)
Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Almería

Images for kids

Duque (standing, second from the right) with the crew of the STS-95 in 1998
Duque working on a glovebox while aboard the International Space Station during Expedition 8
Duque photographed in 2018 in La Moncloa with his minister portfolio.