Wildfires near Madrid force evacuation, NASA’s Deep Space Network shifts to Goldstone
A fast-moving wildfire near Madrid forced the evacuation of NASA’s Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex and temporarily paused Deep Space Network operations. NASA transitioned mission support to the Goldstone Complex in California to maintain communications, while ESA’s nearby Cebreros station was evacuated as a precaution. With Madrid offline and California’s 70-meter antenna out of service since a previous incident, DSN coverage is reduced to Australia’s 70-meter antenna, leaving limited global uptime. NASA says safety comes first and will assess any damage before resuming work; Artemis missions are still planned, with Artemis III in low-Earth orbit and Artemis IV no earlier than 2028.
- Wildfire forces evacuation of NASA's Deep Space Network complex in Spain Ars Technica
- Critical NASA Deep Space ground station in Spain evacuated due to wildfires Spaceflight Now
- One of NASA’s Most Important Deep Space Observatories Hit by Spanish Wildfires WIRED
- One of NASA’s crucial links to deep space is at risk of burning down New Scientist
- Fire Threatens Madrid DSN Complex NASA Watch
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