A-Z of European Space

The first decades: 1959-1994

Personalities Organisations Projects
  • 1962 – Degree in Physics from University of Madrid
  • 1962 – Five month scholarship at CERN
  • 1962-1966 – specialised in electronics and automatic control for the Junta de Energia Nuclear, Madrid (the Spanish Nuclear Energy Commission), and undertook postgraduate work at the Philips International Institute of Technological Studies, Eindhoven from 1964-1966
  • 1966-1968 – Petrochemical process control for LUMMUS company, Madrid
  • 1968-1975 – INTA-NASA, Madrid, working on the set up and operation of the NASA Apollo stations in Maspalomas and Madrid
  • 1975 – Joined ESRO as Head of the Operations Department at ESOC
  • 1991-1997 – ESA Director of Operations and Director of ESOC until retirement in 1997

In 1968, Castañer joined the Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aerospacial (INTA, Spain). After a period at the Goddard Space Flight Center, he subsequently worked at the Canary Islands and Madrid Apollo tracking Stations of the NASA Manned Space Flight Network, where he became head of the telemetry department and later Head of Operations.

He joined ESRO in March 1975 as Head of the Operations Department, with responsibilities including the operations of all ESA satellites, managing the network of ground stations and control centres and providing services and products to users of the science and applications missions. From 1975 to 1997, ESOC successfully operated 26 missions (including particularly demanding missions such as Giotto, the recovery of Geos and Hipparcos or the two ERS missions) and reached a peak in activity in 1992 when it was simultaneously operating 16 satellites.

  • 1948-1958 - served in UK Colonial Administrative Service in Malaya
  • 1959-1967 - UK Atomic Energy Authority
  • 1967-1981 - various positions within ESRO/ESA: Head of Administration and Deputy Director of the Technical Centre ESTEC (1967), ESRO Director of Administration (1971), Acting ESRO Director General (1974), and first Director General of ESA (1975-1981)
  • 1985-1987 - first Director General of the British National Space Centre
  • 1987-1992 - worked at INMARSAT and EUMETSAT.
  • 1990s onwards - aerospace consultant to the EU Commission and involved with set up of the European Environmental Agency; Head of the D6 XI Task Force for the EEA from 1991

Gibson joined ESRO in 1967 as Deputy Director of ESTEC, becoming ESRO’s Director of Administration in 1971. From 1974 he was Acting Director General of ESRO, and oversaw the transition of ESRO and ELDO to form ESA in 1975. He was ESA’s first Director-General 1975 to 1981 and took part in the first Council at Ministerial level in 1977, the first ESA mission in China in 1979 and the first launch of Ariane in Kourou in 1979.

See also: Interview with Roy Gibson from the Oral History of Europe in Space Collection

  • 1957 – Graduated in Physics from Pembroke College, Oxford
  • 1960s – Worked for the Atomic Energy Research Establishment
  • 1967 – joined the Meteorological Office as Head of the new Cloud Physics Branch, becoming Deputy Director in 1976 and Director in 1982
  • 1979-1983 – President of the Commission for Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics
  • 1980-1982 – President of the Royal Meteorological Society
  • 1985-1993 – ESA Director of the Earth Observation and Microgravity Programme

In his work for the Meteorological Office Goldsmith was responsible for research into physical meteorology, including the Office’s involvement in the Meteosat and ERS programmes. He was nominated ESA’s Director of Earth Observation and Microgravity Programme in 1985.

  • 1966 - MA in Law from the University of Copenhagen. Began career in the Danish Ministry of Education and Research; Head of Section, Ministry of Education (1966-1972), Head of Section for International Relations, Danish Research Administration (1972-1984), Head of Division for International Relations, Ministry of Research (1984-2000), Head of Division for International Relations, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (2000)
  • Represented Denmark in its involvement with European research organisations including CERN, COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), Eureka, and EU space activities
  • 1970s-80s - Chairman of various ESA committees and delegate bodies
  • 1987-1990 - Chairman of the ESA Council
  • 1981-1984, 1990-1993 and 1999-2002 – Vice Chairman of the ESA Council
  • 1996-1999 - Chairman of the European Southern Observatory Council

During the period from 1978 to 1987 Grage was Chairman of many ESA committees and working groups including the International Relations Advisory Committee (1978-1981) and the Industrial Policy Committee (1984-1987). He became Chairman of ESA Council in 1987 and was Vice Chairman or Chairman of several Council Working Groups, including the Elaboration of the Joint European Strategy for Space, the ESA-EU/EC Relationship, and the 2003 Council at Ministerial Level. He was delegate to ESRO Council and subsequently ESA Council from 1975 to 2008, making him the Agency’s longest serving delegate.

See also: Interview with Henrik Grage from the Oral History of Europe in Space Collection