Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced Signs Executive Order Establishing Reconstruction of Arecibo Observatory as Public Policy
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, December 28, 2020 — Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced today signed an Executive Order to establish as public policy the reconstruction of the Arecibo Observatory radio telescope so that it resurfaces as a world-class educational center.
“We all remember when on the morning of December 1, we heard the tragic news when the radio telescope platform fell. For 57 years, this world-renowned facility functioned as a research facility capable of scientific discovery and contributions to national security, scientific research, education, as well as a tourist attraction. The government of Puerto Rico is convinced that the collapse of the radio telescope brings an opportunity to redesign it, taking into consideration the lessons learned and the recommendations of the scientific community to make it relevant for decades. That it can be rebuilt and can once again be a world-class center for future generations, ”said the governor.
The Executive Order establishes a budget allocation of $8 million for reconstruction efforts, from surpluses from previous years. They would be for the remedy of environmental damage with the removal and safe disposal of the affected material, which has already begun under the supervision of the National Science Foundation (NSF, for its acronym in English).
“Recognizing the cultural, scientific and social values of the Observatory for the people of Puerto Rico and humanity, the Puerto Rico Planning Board designated the area as a historic zone. We understand that both the state and the federal government and the private sector will help with the design, construction and eventual operation, ”added Vázquez Garced.
The meteorologist and president of the Board of Directors, Ada Monzón, thanked the governor “immensely” “for listening to our request to rebuild the Observatory.”
“We have to give importance to spaces and projects that create knowledge and economic development, that distinguish us internationally and inspire and motivate our children and young people in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics, for its acronym in English). We are protecting the future of Puerto Rico, ”Monzón said.
Dr. Gerardo Morell, director of the NASA Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortium and professor of physics at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) in Río Piedras, thanked “everyone who is participating in the efforts to build a new observatory, to the that the governor becomes part of this government public policy in order to create a modern observatory capable of bringing new scientific discoveries from Puerto Rico, in addition to creating an educational space for our young people and a tourist attraction for the economic growth of the area from Arecibo and from all over Puerto Rico ”.
“This is part of the efforts that are being carried out organically throughout Puerto Rico and with collaborators from the United States that resulted in the document sent to Congress with more than 100,000 signatures. It was something spontaneous of all the people who support this effort, and now this official government effort is joined with this public policy that will make it easier for that claim that was made to crystallize in a design that eventually results in the construction of a new an observatory even better than the one we had before, ”Morell added.
The director of the Arecibo Observatory, Eng. Francisco Córdova, stressed that the Observatory “has been an icon of science for more than 57 years,” and that in that process it won a Nobel Prize, in addition to being a cultural and tourist icon.
“We have to rebuild because we lack an instrument like the one we had in the world of science to be able to continue making the advances that are so important to us as humanity. We are happy to see that the governor is present and that she says, we want to start this process, ”added Córdova.
The rector of the Ana G. Méndez University of the Cupey Campus and science professor, Carlos Padín, indicated: “This public policy will be the push that is needed to make the new project of the new Arecibo Observatory a reality. Thanks to the people of Puerto Rico for supporting us in this effort. This is a project that, on the educational side, is extraordinary. Here more than 400 doctorates have been trained in atmospheric sciences and space sciences, master’s and baccalaureate degrees have been obtained here. But the most important thing is to see those young people when they arrive there and see that structure, that moment that was extraordinary and they said, science is a possibility. Science is something I want to study. We need more people studying science, what we need is to have the opportunity. And the Observatory became that,
For his part, the director of the Arecibo Observatory Space Academy, Luis Fernanda Zambrano, said: “This is a legacy that will not happen in the short term, it will be in the long term that will leave an impact on history and future generations. from Puerto Rico. Thanks to the scientists who support the Observatory and the government for putting the word into action. Thank you on behalf of future generations who are going to benefit ”.
The executive director of the State Office for Historic Conservation, Carlos Rubio Cancela, indicated: “For me, this moment is important and of great joy because here not only is an executive order signed, but the necessary funds are provided for this great project of the reconstruction of the Observatory. I think it is important and it is a commitment that the governor made before us a month ago and today it is a reality. We close the year with joy and hope because this historic resource represents a new opportunity for the scientific community and for the people of Puerto Rico ”.
On November 28, the first executive issued a letter to the director of the NSF, Sethuraman Panchanathan, asking them to reconsider the decision to seize the radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory. But on December 1, it collapsed.
The Arecibo Observatory was built in the late 1950s, early 1960s. Since then, Puerto Rico, the NSF and the scientific community have collaborated successfully for the operation of the facility, being an emblematic place in modern history. from Puerto Rico.
13 responses to “Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced Signs Executive Order Establishing Reconstruction of Arecibo Observatory as Public Policy”
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I think Arecibo Observatory should be rebuilt. Unfortunately, I don’t know where the money is going to come from. The $8 million that the executive order establishes is at least a couple orders of magnitude too little.
The
Jeff BezosAWS Arecibo Space Observatory. Before the other eccentric Billionaire think about a footnote in history,The “other eccentric billionaire” won’t have to worry about historical footnotes – whole volumes will be needed.
There is a billionaire who just might be interested, though. That would be Yuri Milner. He even has some pre-existing connections to the radio astronomy world.
Yuri Milner’s current net worth doesn’t seem to allow him to act as an eccentric Billionaire benefactor for the Arecibo observatory.
That might fall into the crossroads between construction effectiveness and the desire to be a benefactor. Quick search suggested a net worth between $3B and $5B depending on who is guessing.
I don’t know observatory costs, though I have noted that many large projects have an enormous waste factor. SpaceX vs SLS/Orion the current glaring example. I see smaller differences in construction that are still significant.I don’t know, but it seems possible that a new facility could be built for far less than conventionally thought.
The other portion being desire for whatever reasons. I suspect that desire would manifest differently for a $100M investment vs a $5B investment.
NASA could fund its rebuilding for researching asteroids for a fraction of the cost overruns it has run up on the JWST.
An unbelievable amount of things could have been done with the money that has been thrown away on that and other projects. Unfortunately that money is already gone. The best I could see is if rational decisions hold be enforced going forward, which is an April fools fantasy.
this is why PR should become a state, as it would have elected representatives to do a Shelby and the money will at some point come from the federal government.
Poor Puerto Rico.
As much as I applaud the sentiment behind rebuilding Arecibo, it seems like foolish public policy.
Public monies would be better spent rebuilding the terrible electric power infrastructure of Puerto Rico. As poor as Puerto Rico is, they can’t afford to pay for Arecibo too.
Even if the money was available, would Arecibo have fallen into such disrepair in the first place, if it was still cost effective for radio astronomy? If more public investment in radio astronomy infrastructure is a good idea, I suspect rebuilding Arecibo is far down the priority list.
Following you off topic for a bit. Puerto Rico has been under US management for about a dozen decades. I think some attention needs to be paid to that. What did we do or not do as a nation that would have made a difference, or is it out of our control?
https://constitutioncenter….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wi…
Puerto Rico has been governing itself since 1952, even though it is a U.S. territory. During which time it has acquired a reputation for corruption and waste. Puerto Rico even went bankrupt in 2017.
https://www.investopedia.co…
In theory the U.S. Government could step in and govern Puerto Rico directly, but would that really be a good idea in practice? Yes Puerto Rico is a mess, but the U.S. invoking direct rule would also create brand new problems and conflicts, possibly without solving any of the problems of Puerto Rico.
Followed your links and the situation is a mess. Perhaps more accurately I should have said that Puerto Rico has been under US control for a dozen decades, not management. In any case, I think some attention should be paid to any detrimental policies that may have contributed to the problem. Roughly like asking if some US states would be in a similar situation if exposed to the same federal policies as the Island.
Direct rule by the feds would likely be a disaster IMO. It is also my opinion that heavy subsidies tend to expand the problems that made subsidies needed in the first place. Too often shoveling money at a problem is enabling instead of helping, like buying a drunk a drink. Sometimes a little help goes a long way, but only sometimes.
Puerto Rico has been run by Democrats for the entirety of its “home rule” history. The result has been pretty much what you see with the indigenous poverty-level populations in Blue states and cities that have also been under Democrat control for as long or longer than Puerto Rico.
What Puerto Rico lacks that most such Blue states have, though, is at least some cadre of high-earner-to-super-wealthy types who provide at least a bit of leavening in places like WA, NY, CA, etc. Blue cities and states have increasingly proto-feudal economies. So does Puerto Rico, but it is a proto-feudalism that lacks a ruling elite.
The Puerto Rican population seems to understand this at some level as it continues to emigrate to the mainland. There are now at least twice as many people who self-identify as Puerto Ricans living on the mainland U.S. as still live in Puerto Rico. I think it’s about time to put up Spanish language billboards requesting that the last person to leave Puerto Rico please turn off the lights.