The director general of the European Space Agency signed an open letter, published today by the ‘Public’ newspaper, which recalls the former Minister of Science Mariano Gago and their contribution “key to Portugal’s involvement in space activities.”
In an article entitled ‘José Mariano Gago, The European Space Agency lost a friend’, ESA’s Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain said the former Minister of Science and Higher Education, who died on April 17 as someone who “turned Portugal into a nation that also explores the space.”
Jean-Jacques Dordain recalled that it was the hand of Mariano Gago that Portugal started negotiations to join the ESA in 1995, a process that would have its outcome in November 2000, when Portugal became a full member of the European Agency, “allowing the national community take off advantage of the benefits of European cooperation in space activities.”
“José Mariano Gago left a significant legacy in the development of science, technology and space in Portugal, the result of a political effort as well as scientific, remarkable, “concludes the paper published today.
The physical Mariano Gago particles was minister that longer held the position in constitutional governments after 1974, a total of 12 years.
Born in Lisbon in 1948, José Mariano Gago Rebelo Pires graduated in engineering electrical engineering from Technical University in 1971, and was a minister in the governments of the Socialist Party, led by António Guterres and Jose Socrates.
Mariano Gago was an active promoter of science, the knowledge of the history of scientific processes and methods, education and science communication in Portugal, having been responsible for the creation of the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture, manager of the Life Science Centre network.
President of the National Scientific and Technological Research, between 1986 and 1989, and member of the European Academy of Sciences (Academia Europaea), founded in 1988, Mariano Gago was awarded the title of Commander of the Order of St. James Sword in 1992.
Ph.D. Physics from the University of Paris, developed his research in particle physics, directed the Instrumentation and Experimental Physics Laboratory for Particle and was a professor at the Higher Technical Institute.
He died on April 17, suddenly after about two years of fighting cancer
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