The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Valeriano Claros-Guerra served as INTA Deputy Director and as Operations and Communications Supervisor at Maspalomas Tracking Station, part of NASA's Manned Spaceflight Network on Gran Canaria, from 1969 to 1975. He supported a number of space programmes, including Apollos 10 through to 17 (including the historic Apollo 11 Moonlanding on 20 July 1969), ERTS (Earth Resources) and Skylabs 1 and 2.
He joined ESA in 1989, serving as Director of the Villafranca del Castillo Tracking Station and as ESA's Representative in Spain, until 2004. In the late 1990s, Claros oversaw the planning and construction of ESA's Deep Space Antenna (DSA) Network, taking part in commissioning the 35 m DSA stations at New Norcia, Australia, and Cebreros, Spain.
In his final year with ESA, he served as Station Manager at Cebreros station. He retired from ESA in 2005.