Wildfires Force Evacuation of NASA's Deep Space Network in Spain

Wildfires raging near Madrid forced the evacuation of NASA's Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex on Friday, temporarily suspending operations at one of the agency's most critical tracking stations. The facility, part of the global Deep Space Network, provides essential communications with spacecraft including Voyager 1, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Artemis mission. Source: Wired

What happened

A fast-moving wildfire swept through Robledo de Chavela, about 40 miles west of Madrid, threatening the complex's large radio antennas. All personnel were evacuated safely, and operations were seamlessly transitioned to the Goldstone facility in California. Source: Ars Technica NASA stated that any potential damage will be assessed when it is safe to do so. Source: Spaceflight Now Reports on evacuation numbers vary: Wired notes evacuation orders for 60,000 people in Spain, while Spaceflight Now reports 25,000 evacuated in Spain. Source: Wired; Spaceflight Now

The impact

The Madrid complex is one of only three such stations worldwide, alongside Goldstone and Canberra, Australia, providing 24/7 coverage for over 40 missions. The fire underscores the vulnerability of critical space infrastructure to climate change-driven extreme weather. Source: Wired The Deep Space Network has recently faced other challenges, including damage to a California antenna earlier this year. Source: Spaceflight Now