World News – AU – Arecibo Telescope received $ 8 million for possible rebuilding

On 20. November 2020, we reported that the Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico was about to be demolished as the National Science Foundation (NSF) overseeing Arecibo, estimated that it could not be repaired without risking human lives. The decision would end a tool responsible for 57 years of astronomical discoveries.

New hopes for the telescope have now emerged, as Puerto Rico has now allocated $ 8 million for the device, Engadget reports. The amount may not be enough to fix the telescope, but it is enough to delay the demolition.

Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez signed an executive order approving the $ 8 million amount for the telescope, stating that rebuilding Arecibo is important for « public order » reasons. “This initial commitment can even inspire potential sponsors in the US. S.. . Donate the remainder of the amount necessary to fully restore the telescope.

The difficult decision to decommission and tear down the telescope came after the two main cables broke and the observatory was severely damaged. University of Central Florida (UCF) engineers found that even the other cables were showing signs of deterioration, raising concerns that the platform could fall and crack through the bowl.

At the time, the NSF stated that « the telescope is in danger of catastrophic failure. Any attempt at repair could place workers in potentially life threatening danger. « The question that comes next is can money change these circumstances?

Can adequate funding make repairs to the telescope safe or is it still too dangerous? In a statement to Engadget, NSF announced that « the observatory will not close. Research with archived data from the 305-meter telescope continues and NSF is looking for ways to restore operations to the observatory’s other infrastructure as soon as possible, including the 12-meter telescope and LIDAR facilities. « It looks like there is hope for Arecibo.

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Arecibo Observatory, Telescope, Puerto Rico