ROBLEDO DE CHAVELA

It houses the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex, a NASA space tracking station with a visitor center. It enjoys a privileged natural environment where outdoor activities can be practiced.

The Town Hall is one of the most characteristic buildings of the urban area with a granite masonry and a linteled portico on the second floor. The most emblematic construction is the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, located in the highest point of the urban center. It has a defensive aspect as a result of the Gothic architecture, this work dates from the XV and XVI centuries and its most valuable piece is the High Altarpiece that, with a Hispanic-Flemish aesthetic, consists of 32 tables on the life of the Virgin Mary.

Hiking in the surroundings of Robledo de Chavela is possible by taking one of the paths that the environment offers: San Antonio, San Martín or Monteagudillo.

The Aerospace Tracking Base arrived in Robledo de Chavela in 1964 to, together with two other twin bases located in California and Canberra, carry out the tracking of all the vehicles that NASA sends into space. 

The Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC), has a visitor center where you can watch videos, photographs, exhibitions, children's activities, the observation of a moonstone, a suit of astronaut Miguel Lopez-Alegria, and the display of missions as important as the exploration of Mars with the 'Curiosity' and 'Opportunity'.  . 

In the auditorium there are projections and presentations about space and in the other three rooms you can visit a descriptive exhibition about the activities of NASA and the MDSCC. The little ones will surely enjoy the close-up view of the 70m diameter antenna and 8,500 tons with which every day they beat the record of human telecommunications by contacting the probe 'Voyager I', located almost 15 light-hours from Earth.

More info: Robledo de Chavela

Image credits: Robledo de Chavela Base © Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex