The Government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, has warned that the NASA facility in Robledo de Chavela is in a critical situation due to the advance of the forest fire ravaging the Sierra Oeste. The Civil Guard has evacuated more than 90 employees from the complex.
The forest fire that has been affecting the Sierra Oeste of the Community of Madrid for days has jeopardised a key infrastructure for space exploration. The Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC), the only NASA ground station in Spain, is at the centre of the emergency. The Government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, has stated that the facility “is in a critical situation” and that emergency teams are doing “everything possible to protect it” from the advancing flames.
The Civil Guard evacuated more than 90 employees from the complex, located in the municipality of Robledo de Chavela, on Friday. NASA's executive assistant at the centre, Lola Cadierno, confirmed in statements to RTVE that all evacuees are safe. “We cannot confirm anything, as we have no one inside,” she noted, although she added that the first evacuations took place in the morning and the last at 17:00, when only the security service remained.
The MDSCC is one of only three ground stations in the Deep Space Network (DSN) that NASA has around the world, alongside those in Goldstone (California) and Canberra (Australia). Its function is vital: to maintain communications with missions exploring the solar system and beyond. “It would be a catastrophe if one of them fails, because monitoring deep space missions is done 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and it could not be done in this part of the world,” Cadierno warned.
The history of this station is linked to one of humanity's most important milestones. During the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969, the facilities in Robledo de Chavela played a key role in the communications of the historic moon landing. It was the first to receive the signal confirming that the Eagle module had landed on the lunar surface. Spanish technicians heard Neil Armstrong's message —“Houston, this is Tranquility Base; the Eagle has landed”— before anyone else and relayed the communication to NASA's control centre in the United States.
The fire, which has also forced the evacuation of the municipality of Robledo de Chavela, remains out of control. The flames are advancing through an area that is difficult to access, with strong gusts of wind complicating firefighting efforts. The deployed forces are working against the clock to prevent the fire from reaching the antennas and buildings of the space complex. There is maximum concern both in the central government and in the Community of Madrid, which has activated all available resources.
For the moment, it cannot be confirmed that the flames have entered the station, according to Cadierno. However, the situation remains critical, and it is expected that the real extent of the damage can be assessed in the coming hours. The priority, according to the authorities, is the safety of people and the protection of this strategic infrastructure.
The Sierra Oeste fire is one of the most serious in recent years in the Community of Madrid. High temperatures and drought have created the conditions conducive to a fire of great intensity. Residents of Robledo de Chavela and other nearby municipalities have been evacuated to centres set up by the Red Cross, while emergency services continue to work tirelessly.
The NASA station in Robledo de Chavela is not only an icon of space cooperation between Spain and the United States but also a source of pride for the scientific community and local residents. Its potential damage from the fire represents an irreparable loss for space exploration. For now, the priority is to contain the flames and ensure that the facility can resume its activities as soon as possible.
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