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S. Pete Worden

Chairman at Breakthrough Prize Foundation

S. Pete Worden, born in 1949 in Michigan, is the Chairman of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation and Executive Director of the Breakthrough Initiatives.12 He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Astronomy from the University of Arizona.27

Dr. Worden has had a distinguished career spanning military service, academia, and space exploration:

  1. Military Career: He served in the United States Air Force for 29 years, retiring as a Brigadier General in 2004.5

  2. NASA: From May 4, 2006 to March 31, 2015, he was the Director of NASA's Ames Research Center.3

  3. Academia: He was a research professor of Astronomy, Optical Sciences, and Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona.3

  4. Space Expertise: Worden is recognized as an expert on both civil and military space issues. He has authored or co-authored over 150 scientific papers in astrophysics, space sciences, and strategic studies.23

  5. Scientific Contributions: He served as a scientific co-investigator for three NASA space science missions, including the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph launched in 2013 to study the Sun.2

  6. Awards: Worden received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for the 1994 Clementine Mission to the moon and was named the 2009 Federal Laboratory Consortium Laboratory Director of the Year.24

  7. Current Role: Since July 2015, he has been leading the Breakthrough Initiatives as Chairman of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.12

  8. International Recognition: In 2018, he was appointed as a Knight-Commander of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for his space services.7

Dr. Worden's expertise and leadership continue to shape space exploration and scientific research, particularly in the search for extraterrestrial life and interstellar travel.6

Highlights

Apr 30 · linkedin

The Breakthrough Prize ceremony was a great celebration of science with many leading figures entertainment, business and science leadership turning out to honor great scientists. Watch now at

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S. Pete Worden
S. Pete Worden, photo 1
S. Pete Worden, photo 2
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Location

Mountain View, California, United States