A fast-moving wildfire near Madrid forced NASA to evacuate its Deep Space Network complex in Spain and suspend operations there temporarily. The site is a key part of the global network that communicates with more than 40 missions, including Artemis, the James Webb Space Telescope and the Voyager probes, although NASA said support had been transferred to its California facility without interruption.

The Madrid station, about 65km west of the city centre, includes a 70-metre radio dish and smaller 34-metre antennas; any damage will be assessed once it is safe. More than 19,000 people were reportedly evacuated from nearby mountain towns, with over 2,000 personnel and 10 aircraft fighting the fires amid heatwave and drought conditions; a nearby ESA and Spanish tracking station was also evacuated. The disruption further strains the network because California’s own 70-metre antenna has been offline since last year after an accident.