Wildfire Forces NASA Deep Space Network Operations Offline in Spain
NASA's Deep Space Communications Complex near Madrid, Spain, was evacuated and operations temporarily suspended Friday due to wildfires. The facility is part of NASA's global tracking network.
A fast-moving wildfire forced the evacuation of NASA's Deep Space Communications Complex near Madrid, Spain, on Friday, temporarily suspending operations at one of the space agency's critical tracking stations.
The facility is part of NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), which operates in conjunction with similar sites in California and Australia to provide global coverage. The network supports over 40 missions, from lunar exploration to probes at the edge of the solar system, including the Artemis program, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Voyager spacecraft.
A NASA spokesperson confirmed the Spanish station, located approximately 40 miles west of Madrid, was evacuated due to ongoing wildfires. Photos and videos from the area showed flames and smoke rising over the ground station's antenna array, which features a 230-foot-diameter radio dish and smaller 112-foot antennas.
The extent of any damage and the timeline for resuming full operations have not yet been disclosed. NASA is monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they become available.