Pedro Duque IEEE honorary member recognition was announced this year, honoring Spain’s first astronaut for his contributions to space exploration, leadership in international science and technology programs, and service as a role model for younger generations. Duque, an aeronautics engineer who flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery and later the International Space Station, remains one of Spain’s most prominent figures in space science nearly three decades after his first mission.
After concluding his astronaut career, Duque led Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities. He now serves as president and chairman of the board at HispaSat, the Madrid-based satellite operator.
Pedro Duque IEEE honorary member
Pedro Duque
Employer
HispaSat in Madrid
Title
President and chairman of the board
Member grade
Honorary member
Alma mater
The Polytechnic University of Madrid
Three public schools in Spain bear Duque’s name, and he has received numerous national and international accolades. The IEEE Board of Directors named him an honorary member this year “for contributions to space exploration, leadership in collaborative science and technology programs, and serving as a role model for younger generations.”
Duque could not attend the 24 April ceremony in New York City. In recorded remarks played at the event, he thanked the institute and praised its role in advancing engineering for the benefit of humanity.
Duque says he set his sights on engineering early, influenced by his father, an air traffic controller who explained how aircraft functioned. At age 6, he watched the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, an event he recalls as a powerful inspiration to pursue spaceflight.
Becoming an astronaut seemed out of reach at the time because Spain lacked a space program under Francisco Franco, Duque says. Following Franco’s death in 1975, Spain transitioned to a democratic constitutional monarchy and began to expand research and development, including work with the European Space Agency.
Astronaut duties
Duque earned an aeronautical engineering degree in 1986 from the aeronautical and space engineering school at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He began his career in GMV’s flight dynamics group in Madrid and worked with the orbit determination team at the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, developing algorithms, orbit software, and computer models.
He served on the flight control teams for the European Remote Sensing-1 satellite, launched in 1991, and the European Retrievable Carrier, launched in 1992 on space shuttle Atlantis’s STS-46 mission.
When the European Space Agency opened recruitment for astronauts in 1990, Duque and colleagues applied. He joined the Astronaut Corps in 1992 after a lengthy selection process and trained at the European Astronaut Centre and at the Russian Cosmonaut Training Center, now the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center.
In 1994, he was the prime crew interface coordinator for the ESA–Russian EuroMir program, facilitating communications between Mir’s crew and European scientists. NASA later selected him as an alternate payload specialist for space shuttle Columbia’s STS-78 mission in 1996, where he trained to manage experiments and supported the flight from the ground.
Duque first flew to space in 1998 as a mission specialist on Discovery’s STS-95 mission, representing ESA and overseeing in-orbit tasks and experiments. In 2003, he flew as a flight engineer aboard Soyuz TMA-3 on the Cervantes mission to the International Space Station, operating station systems, performing maintenance, and conducting research.
Memories of flying with John Glenn
Duque describes astronaut training as rigorous but deeply rewarding, noting that each approximately 10-day mission delivered on years of preparation. Among his favorite memories were watching Earth transition from day to night, catching the moon as a delicate sliver before setting, and experiencing microgravity.
He also recalls flying with John H. Glenn on Discovery and discussing how early astronauts for the Apollo and Gemini programs were chosen from test pilots who could respond decisively to failures. Duque says modern missions rely on advanced technology that reduces the need for handling catastrophic malfunctions, with astronauts focusing more on experiments and equipment upkeep.
He adds that future lunar and Mars crews will operate new spacecraft that may require on-the-fly problem-solving, and they must be prepared for long-duration living in confined spaces.
The price of sudden fame
As Spain’s first astronaut, Duque received honors including Russia’s Order of Friendship, Spain’s Great Cross of Aeronautical Merit and Princess of Asturias Award, and NASA’s Space Flight Medal. He says adapting to public attention was difficult at first because engineers often work outside the spotlight, but he learned to manage the demands of celebrity over time.
Leadership expectations also followed his astronaut status, he notes, observing that others placed considerable weight on his views.
Minister of science and other leading roles
After retiring from ESA in 2018, Duque became Spain’s minister of science, serving until 2021 and overseeing scientific research, technological development, innovation, space programs, and higher education. During his tenure, Spain committed 800 million U.S. dollars, or 701 million euros, for 2020 to 2026 to the European Space Agency, then the country’s largest overall investment in ESA.
He joined Destinus Spain in 2022, advising the strategic committee of the European defense manufacturer focused on propulsion and auxiliary systems. In 2023, the Spanish government appointed him president and chairman of the HispaSat board.
The Madrid-headquartered operator provides broadcasting and broadband services across Europe, North Africa, and the Americas. The company began as a joint initiative between the Spanish government and private telecommunications firms.
The IEEE honor was a surprise
Duque says the honorary membership came as an unexpected distinction. Although aware of a nomination by a colleague, he did not anticipate it would advance.
He notes that while electrical engineering is not his field, he long had interests in telecommunications and appreciates the institute’s standards work.
Conversations with IEEE members reinforced the significance of the honorary membership, which recognizes substantial achievements with societal impact. Duque says he is now considering how best to contribute to the organization and its community.
His recognition adds to broader discussions about leadership and mentorship within the engineering profession, themes also explored at the IEEE International Leadership Conference.