NASA's Voided Deep Space Mission Control Zones for the First Time in Six Decades Amidst L.A.'s Raging Wildfires
The wildfires currently blazing through Southern California aren't just a sight from space – they're causing stirrings within the space world itself. The Eaton fire necessitated the evacuation of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena on January 8, keeping the facility closed until Monday. Remarkably, the research center has thus far managed to dodge the flames' grasp.
Whilst the emergency has caused some disruptions to JPL's data processing, the gravity of the situation touched the JPL community deeply. As per posts on social media platforms, the community has been greatly impacted. Laurie Leshin, JPL's director, expressed her sentiments in an X post, revealing that over 150 employees have lost their homes to the blaze. A sober confirmation followed on JPL's Facebook page. To aid those affected, administrative efforts have been prioritized towards establishing a relief fund for both Caltech and JPL communities.
JPL is a federal space exploration lab, funded by NASA, managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and home to NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), which features massive radio antennas used for communicating with space missions. Established in the late 1950s, the DSN maintains contact with notable spacecraft such as Voyager probes, Mars rovers, and the Juno probe orbiting Jupiter. JPL's Spaceflight Operations Center has seen uninterrupted operations since 1964, according to NASA.
The evacuation notice posted on the lab's website on Wednesday highlighted that JPL's facilities, laboratories, and equipment had been secured and protected. Reassuringly, the DSN team managed to maintain contact with its spacecraft throughout the evacuation, as confirmed by Space.com.
In a testament to their perseverance, NASA's Associate Administrator, Nicola Fox, spoke during the 245th American Astronomical Society meeting, affirming that the DSN team had gone beyond the call of duty to guarantee no data loss occurred during the evacuation. With the JPL control room being temporarily vacated for the first time in its 60-year history, the team shifted operations to an emergency center.
Unfortunately, the evacuation has led to some data processing disruptions, affecting near real-time data, data from the SMAP platform, and data from the Microwave Limb Sounder. Although the scientific community breathes a sigh of relief at JPL's undamaged status, the research center continues to brace itself for the dry winds predicted to persist throughout Wednesday.
[1] Source: https://twitter.com/LaurieJPL/status/1347166998886058914[2] Source: https://www.facebook.com/JPL/posts/2895325403327927[3] Source: https://www.space.com/future-space-telescope-team-evacuates-california-wildfire.html[4] Source: https://www.caltech.edu/news/caltech-and-jpl-community-support-fund-established-help-affected-employees[5] Source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-01-09/california-wildfire-pushed-nasa-s-jet-propulsion-lab-to-evacuate
Despite the ongoing challenges, JPL's director of science and exploration, Michael Watkins, has emphasized the importance of looking towards the future, stating that "We remain committed to our mission of exploration and discovery, and we will continue to push the boundaries of space science and technology."
In light of the current situation, NASA and Caltech are exploring the potential of consolidating some operations in a different location, with an eye towards minimizing disruptions to the ongoing space missions and research projects.
