NASA/ESA stations dodge major damage as wildfires sweep near Madrid
NASA and ESA said their Madrid-area Deep Space Network facilities largely escaped major damage from wildfires that forced evacuations; the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC) was evacuated on July 24 with initial inspections showing damage mainly to pavement and vegetation and no significant harm to antennas or buildings, while Canberra and Goldstone have assumed DSN operations. ESA’s Cerberos ground station near Madrid also appears unharmed, though access is limited, and Goldstone’s 70-meter antenna remains out of service until 2028 due to prior damage. The fires have prompted large-scale evacuations in Spain and France.