The recent failure of two support cables at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico has destabilized the structure such that it cannot be repaired without placing construction workers at significant risk, according to officials with the National Science Foundation. As feared, the beloved 1,000-foot telescope will have to be decommissioned.
As if 2020 couldn’t get any worse, we received news this morning that the giant dish at Arecibo will have to be demolished. The National Science Foundation came to this hard decision following a review of engineering assessments, which concluded that the observatory is in seriously bad shape and that it cannot be stabilized without placing workers in danger. The NSF is now planning for the controlled decommission of the dish, ending a historic 57-year run.
“I want to say this as forcefully as possible,” said Ralph Gaume, the director of NSF’s Division of Astronomical Sciences, at a call for reporters earlier today. “We’re not closing the Arecibo Observatory.”
Indeed, while the 1,000-foot dish will have to be demolished, it will need to be done in such a way to protect the facility’s other assets, including many important buildings under Tower 12. Once the observatory is deemed safe, scientific activities will resume at the site, including work with LIDAR to study Earth’s atmosphere. The University of Central Florida manages Arecibo for the NSF, in a cooperative agreement that involves Universidad Ana G. Méndez and Yang Enterprises.
