The fire ravaging the western Sierra of Madrid has reached NASA's deep space communications complex in Robledo de Chavela. All employees have been evacuated and scientific tasks have been transferred to California.
The wildfire that has been devastating the western Sierra of the Community of Madrid for days has reached NASA's deep space communications complex located on the outskirts of Robledo de Chavela. The flames, which have already forced the evacuation of over 60,000 people in the region, have entered the premises of the centre, known as the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC). All employees have been evacuated, according to government sources, and the facilities are in a critical situation.
The MDSCC is one of only three nodes on the planet responsible for tracking interplanetary space missions. Along with the centres in Goldstone (California) and Canberra (Australia), it forms NASA's Deep Space Network, which operates 24 hours a day to monitor satellites, space telescopes, and Mars rovers. The historical importance of the Madrid centre is significant: on July 16, 1969, its antennas were the first to receive the signal from the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Sources from the United States Embassy, which owns the centre, confirmed that the fire has entered the premises. Although it is too early to assess the damage, any potential impact will be analysed when it is safe to access the area. For now, scientific tasks have been transferred to the equivalent facilities in California to ensure continuity of service and uninterrupted support for operational spacecraft communications.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has also commented on the fire affecting its deep space station in Cebreros, also in the Madrid Sierra. The agency states that, despite the proximity of the flames, the station appears to have remained unscathed. However, they do not have physical access to the site for an on-site inspection, and any assessment will be carried out when access can be safely restored.
The Robledo de Chavela centre has been operational for over 60 years and is key for tracking missions such as the rovers searching for life on Mars or monitoring space telescopes. NASA's global network is designed so that if one node fails, the others can take over its functions, as has already occurred with the transfer of tasks to California.
Local authorities and the United States Embassy are working together to monitor the impact of the fire. The fire, which began in the western Sierra, has advanced rapidly due to adverse weather conditions, with high temperatures and wind, complicating firefighting efforts. Emergency teams continue to work in the area to contain the flames and protect critical infrastructure.
For residents of the Community of Madrid, the situation is particularly concerning, as the Robledo de Chavela centre is not only a scientific icon but also a local pride. The possibility of the fire damaging the facilities has generated alarm among the population, who are closely following the evolution of the fire. Authorities have urged calm and assured that all necessary measures are being taken to minimise damage.
The fire in the western Sierra of Madrid is the most severe in recent years in the region, with over 60,000 people evacuated and thousands of hectares burned. The flames have affected several municipalities, including Robledo de Chavela, where the NASA complex is located. The priority now is to control the fire and assess the damage to scientific infrastructures.
NASA has expressed confidence that the transfer of tasks to California will ensure the continuity of space missions. However, the Madrid centre is irreplaceable in terms of geographical coverage, as its location allows it to cover a part of the sky that neither Goldstone nor Canberra can. Any significant damage could affect the ability to track future missions.
For now, it is expected that weather conditions will improve in the coming hours, which could help firefighting teams to control the fire. However, the situation remains critical, and authorities do not rule out the possibility of the fire reigniting. Residents in the area remain on alert and are advised to follow the instructions of emergency services.
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