Major NASA site in Spain hit by wildfire

WASHINGTON – Massive wildfires in Europe on July 24 forced NASA to evacuate one of its three global deep space communications facilities in Spain, impacting the agency’s ability to communicate with space probes.

The Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC) is located in Robledo, about 65km west of central Madrid, a NASA spokesperson told AFP in a statement.

“The wildfire has passed through the MDSCC. Any potential damage will be assessed when it is safe to do so,” the US space agency said, adding all personnel were “safely evacuated”.

MDSCC is part of the Deep Space Network, one of three sites that allow NASA to communicate with its spacecraft exploring distant parts of the galaxy.

The other two sites are in Canberra, Australia, and Goldstone, California, where “the agency has seamlessly transitioned support for mission operations”.

“The safety and well-being of our personnel is our highest priority and our thoughts are with the families and neighbours who are also experiencing the impact of the wildfires in the surrounding communities,” the statement said. AFP