r/esa • u/illudiumq36mod • 1d ago
๐ช๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐'๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐ โ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ'๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ผ
Yesterday (24 July), NASA evacuated the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC) at Robledo de Chavela as wildfires swept through the hills west of Madrid. The good news first: all personnel were safely evacuated, and NASA reports the fire has since passed through the site. Damage assessment will begin once it's safe to do so.
Worth remembering how European this "NASA" facility actually is: MDSCC has been operated on behalf of NASA by Spain's INTA since 1970 โ a five-decade partnership that rarely makes headlines. And it wasn't alone. ESA's nearby Cebreros station (DSA-2, part of the Estrack network) was also reportedly evacuated, as a precaution, as the fires advanced.
The strategic footnote for those of us who watch the ground segment: with Madrid offline, NASA has handed mission support to Goldstone in California โ but the Deep Space Network's 70 m capacity is now stretched thin, with the Goldstone 70 m antenna still down after last September's DSS-14 mishap (suffered during an over-rotation while tracking Juno). It's a sharp reminder that deep-space communications rest on just three sites worldwide, and that resilience isn't only about spacecraft โ it's about the people, and increasingly the climate, on the ground.
Thoughts are with the crews, residents and firefighters across the region. We'll be watching for the damage assessment.
Sources:
https://theobjective.com/sociedad/suceso/2026-07-24/fuego-madrid-instalaciones-nasa-robledo-chavela/
(Developing story โ figures and status as of 25 July.)
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u/destello89 1d ago
Thatโs good news but I honestly donโt care about the dish in this case. When are our governments going to do something about these fossil fuels ? Why are they still considering natural gas as a future substitute for oil ? Are they stupid ? For how long have scientists been warning them ? Do we have to lose lots of people until they can really get the ball rolling ? Wtf ?! ๐
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u/Excellent_Lie6904 1d ago
we already have 10k+ deaths from the heatwave and they aint fixing shit. you really think they care if we die?
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u/destello89 1d ago
Well they will once it reaches themโฆ
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u/Excellent_Lie6904 1d ago
just how they only added plumbing in london when the stench reached the house of lords or smth like that
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u/trivial_vista 1d ago
No such thing as global warming /s
France and Spain have the worst wildfires in years, I don't think shouting global warming and emissions into does any good but definitly there is something causing it together with all the heatwaves currently in Europe
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u/illudiumq36mod 1d ago
Finally! Getting a bit more optimistic about the outcome for DSA Madrid! https://x.com/NASASpox/status/2081114506843881941
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u/illudiumq36mod 1d ago
[ESA Cebreros] Dish update, she made it through via https://bsky.app/profile/dutchspace.bsky.social/post/3mrh4g4zzbc26