NASA and ESA evacuated key ground stations in Spain after major wildfires swept through the region in late July, but initial inspections indicate both facilities avoided serious structural damage. NASA evacuated the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC), one of three main ground stations for the Deep Space Network, located about 65 kilometers west of Madrid on July 24. An onsite inspection on July 25 found wildfire damage limited to pavement and surrounding vegetation, with no significant damage to the antennas or buildings. ESA's ground station near Cerberos, 77 kilometers west of Madrid, also appears to have survived the fires unharmed, though ESA has not yet been able to access the site for a full inspection.
The MDSCC site hosts a 70-meter antenna and five 34-meter antennas used for communicating with NASA spacecraft throughout the solar system. The Madrid station has not been actively communicating with spacecraft since at least July 24, according to NASA's real-time DSN tracking website. The Canberra and Goldstone facilities have taken over full control of the DSN to maintain uninterrupted spacecraft communications during the outage. It remains unclear how long the Madrid site will remain offline or what the timeline is for returning it to full operational status.
The timing of the Madrid station evacuation compounds existing strain on the DSN. The Goldstone 70-meter antenna has been out of service since damage earlier this year and will not return until 2028 after repairs and upgrades. NASA has been dealing with a capacity crunch from increased demand for spacecraft communications, and losing the Madrid station further narrows available resources for managing missions throughout the solar system.
The wildfires affecting the ground stations are part of broader fires across Spain and France linked to unseasonably high temperatures and dry conditions. As of late July 25, nearly 300,000 people in the two countries had been evacuated. Both NASA and ESA plan to conduct comprehensive assessments of their respective sites as access and conditions permit.