Duke Valentour

Duke Valentour is an Industrial and Systems Engineer at Ball Aerospace, part of BAE Systems, based in Boulder, Colorado. Now operating under Space & Mission Systems, the company focuses on creating and delivering technologies for space missions that support national security, intelligence, and civilian objectives. Duke holds a Commercial Pilot License and is a Certified Flight Instructor. His early interest in aviation was sparked by his grandfather, who played an important role in encouraging his passion for flight. At Ball Aerospace, Duke analyzes the engineering department’s workflows to identify cycle and process times for assembly and fabrication operations. He leads projects to improve these processes within Research and Development, Production, and Depot Programs for Optical Systems. Part of his duties involve performing root cause analyses to uncover production issues and developing solutions to ensure sustainable operations. He works closely with production technicians to drive these improvements. He started as an intern at Ball Aerospace in 2020 and transitioned to a full-time role. By 2024, he was promoted to his current position. The same year, Ball Aerospace was acquired by BAE Systems, expanding its capabilities under Space & Mission Systems. Jonathan Wayne Valentour’s passion for flying began during his childhood visits to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton, Ohio. These visits with his grandfather, Colonel Wayne Basset, cultivated his fascination with military aviation. While interning at Ball Aerospace in 2021, Jonathan completed his private pilot check ride and earned his instrument rating by late 2023. In early 2024, Jonathan pursued his commercial pilot license and received it that year, along with his flight instructor certification. He joined Mile High Gliding at Boulder Airport as a tow pilot and flight instructor.