NSF Statement on Collapse of Arecibo Observatory
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (NSF PR) — The instrument platform of the 305-meter telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico fell at approximately 7:55 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time Dec. 1, resulting in damage to the dish and surrounding facilities.
No injuries were reported as a result of the collapse. The U.S. National Science Foundation ordered the area around the telescope to be cleared of unauthorized personnel since the failure of a cable Nov. 6. Local authorities will keep the area cordoned off as engineers work to assess the stability of the observatory’s other structures.
Top priorities are maintaining safety at the site, conducting a complete damage assessment as quickly as possible, and taking action to contain and mitigate any environmental damage caused by the structure or its materials. While the telescope was a key part of the facility, the observatory has other scientific and educational infrastructure that NSF will work with stakeholders to bring back online.
“We are saddened by this situation but thankful that no one was hurt,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “When engineers advised NSF that the structure was unstable and presented a danger to work teams and Arecibo staff, we took their warnings seriously and continued to emphasize the importance of safety for everyone involved. Our focus is now on assessing the damage, finding ways to restore operations at other parts of the observatory, and working to continue supporting the scientific community, and the people of Puerto Rico.”
The investigation into the platform’s fall is ongoing. Initial findings indicate that the top section of all three of the 305-meter telescope’s support towers broke off. As the 900-ton instrument platform fell, the telescope’s support cables also dropped.
Preliminary assessments indicate the observatory’s learning center sustained significant damage from falling cables.
Engineers arrived on-site today. Working with the University of Central Florida, which manages the observatory, NSF expects to have environmental assessment workers on-site as early as tomorrow. Workers at the observatory will take appropriate safety precautions as a full assessment of the site’s safety is underway.
NSF intends to continue to authorize UCF to pay Arecibo staff and take actions to continue research work at the observatory, such as repairing the 12-meter telescope used for radio astronomy research and the roof of the LIDAR facility, a valuable geospace research tool. These repairs were funded through supplemental congressional appropriations aimed at addressing damage from Hurricane Maria.
Once safety on site is established, other work at the observatory will be carried out as conditions permit.
NSF will continue to release details as they are confirmed. Additional information, including engineers’ assessments of the structure, can be found in NSF’s Nov. 19 news release.
Background
Although the platform’s fall was unplanned, NSF, UCF and other stakeholders, including engineering firms contracted by UCF, had been monitoring developments at the 305-meter telescope that indicated an increased risk of a collapse.
In August, one of the 305-meter telescope’s cables unexpectedly detached. The remaining cables were expected to bear the load without issue as engineers worked on plans to address the damage. However, a second cable broke Nov. 6. Engineers subsequently found the second snapped at about 60% of what should have been its minimum breaking strength, indicating that other cables may be weaker than expected, and advised that the structure could not be safely repaired.
Both cables were attached to the same support tower. If the tower lost another cable, the engineer of record noted, an unexpected collapse would be the likely result. Since NSF’s Nov. 19 announcement that it would plan for decommissioning of the 305-meter telescope, surveillance drones found additional exterior wire breaks on two cables attached to the same tower. One showed between 11-14 broken exterior wires as of Nov. 30 while another showed about eight. Each cable is made up of approximately 160 wires.
16 responses to “NSF Statement on Collapse of Arecibo Observatory”
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The need to replace it with a state-of-the-art instrument and name it in honor of Carl Sagan. The Carl Sagan Arecibo Radio Observatory.
That would be nice.
It’ll be important to avoid the temptation to do a big R&D effort asking for too many new capabilities. Arecebo was about aperture and transmitter power. That’s what should replace it. If it is replaced. Unless Congress will increase funding to NSF, I’m afraid nothing new will go in after the cleanup. At least as funded by NSF. Perhaps another source of funds will come forward?
Too bad we can’t put TMT in Puerto Rico. It’s refreshing to hear locals had fallen in love with their instruments and not accepted the stupidity of the locals in Hawaii or the similar carp that was opposing Mt Graham here in AZ decades back.
Uncle Sam has a way of rubbing some rather coursely.
Sorry, the idea that a telescopes steps on your fake god is just stupid. If your culture can’t stand basic scientific investigation, you’re not being steam rolled, you’re just being a snowflake.
Mostly agree. Wouldn’t suprise me if many had the intellect to know better. But these days, some people are so angry they’ll throw anything they can, even their shoes.
And there is the power to say “No” if you’re incapable of doing anything constructive in life, you can always take pleasure in life from ruining the honest work of others. Somehow the Arizona Apache are not gnashing their teeth in dread or taking extra blood pressures pills after the telescopes whent operational on Mt Graham. A few rose in local politics for a few years as a result of their celebrity from opposing the scopes.
I’m pretty sure the only gods you’re allowed to make fun of are those worshiped by white people. I’ll have to check my copy of the SJW edition of the Junior Woodchuck Guide to be sure though.
White people worship every damn so called god out there. Jehovah, Rama, Thor, Pele, Mazda, Elway, and some even Donald Trump. ….. Believers! They’re all problematic.
Me, I only Worship Elon!!!!
lol
Joking
🙂
You know, for as much as I hurange on you Elon worshipers …….If anyone is going to get you to heaven for real …. it’s him. Hhahahha, but he wants and needs your hard cash more than your adulation. …. T-2 hours… Fly Starship!
Humans return to the moon by Starship 2025 6 time frame. Boots on Mars just before the end of the decade. Moon out post by the end of the decade. Elons city on Mars who the hell knows. That is how my crystal ball sees it. and it is pretty clear.
🙂
Isn’t a Starship landing on the moon the same as a moon post? I think later of course, but it might be close. I expect 2025 will be shake down cruise period. How long can subsystems last in space? Tanking etc. Mars? The Moon is going to tell us a lot about how that is going to go. Unless Elon is going to start making use of the various highly experimental life extension methods under development, he’ll start aging out in about 10 years. And likely be unable to participate in spaceflight much past the early 2030’s. City on Mars? Expect Roanoak before you see Boston.
I agree that they need to avoid a big R&D effort. Too much time and money spend trying to develop new instruments only keeps a replacement out of service longer. Let’s assume the basic structure of the dish is repairable, or at least replaceable, since that is part is supported from the ground. Find modern replacements for the instruments that hang over the top of the dish, and suspend them from new towers. Make sure the entire thing can survive a CAT 5 hurricane. Maybe they can convince a Hollywood studio to cover half the cost,
Before they rebuild they need to figure out how the maintenance is going to be paid for. But that reaches back to a debate lost years ago, about what is the funding and operating model of the NSF?
35-W collapsed a couple years ago. These aren’t the only things collapsing though. There was a time when discussion & critical thinking was encouraged. How often is it sought these days? Seems the reactionary “good cop, bad cop” insanity hasn’t peaked yet. Did the Dog get off the Leash, or is this a master class in steering herds of bipeds?