Juan Carlos Cortés

Juan Carlos Cortés is the Director of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE). He was appointed on May 15, 2024, following an open competitive process. Juan Carlos also serves as the Head of the Spanish Delegation to the European Space Agency (ESA) and is the elected Vice President of the ESA Council, as well as the head of the Spanish Delegation in the Administrative Board of the EU Space Agency (EUSPA), and the Spanish representative on the Horizontal Committee of the European Space Program. The AEE is a state agency overseen by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (MICIU) and the Ministry of Defense (MINISDEF), aimed at enhancing citizens' lives through space. Under the presidency of Minister Diana Morant (MICIU), the Agency integrates and coordinates space activities in Spain. The AEE is the expert body to promote and coordinate activities and policies oriented at research, technological and industrial development, and innovation in the space sector, including the coordinat