NASA evacuated its Deep Space Network ground station near Madrid on Friday as wildfires swept through the area, forcing the agency to shift critical operations to other sites. All 90 personnel at the facility were evacuated safely. The Madrid station is one of three ground stations -- alongside Goldstone, California and Canberra, Australia -- that provide continuous global coverage for deep space spacecraft communications. NASA has temporarily redirected mission support to Goldstone while authorities assess whether the facility sustained damage from the fires.
The Madrid complex sits about 37 miles west of the Spanish capital at Robledo de Chavela and houses a 230-foot diameter antenna weighing roughly 2,970 tons. The three Deep Space Network sites use identical large antennas to transmit commands and receive telemetry from distant spacecraft. A NASA spokesperson confirmed the evacuation and stated that damage assessment will proceed once it is safe to access the site. The agency emphasized that transition to Goldstone has ensured uninterrupted spacecraft communications.
The wildfire evacuation adds to existing strain on the Deep Space Network's capacity. Last September, one of Goldstone's antennas, Deep Space Station 14, sustained damage during an over-rotation incident while tracking the Juno spacecraft, resulting in estimated repairs between $4.1 and $4.6 million. The network has faced ongoing pressure to maintain operations across an expanding roster of deep space missions.
Spain faced significant evacuation activity connected to the fires, with more than 25,000 people evacuated and 20,000 in lockdown as of Friday. Local authorities told media they were taking all possible measures to protect the NASA facility, though the full extent of any damage remains unknown pending inspection.