Arecibo radio telescope platform collapses, one of the largest in the world

This radio telescope, located in Puerto Rico, was one of the largest in the world, weighed 900 tons and was a key tool for many astronomical discoveries. Although engineers had examined its structure in August when one of its support cables broke, they assured that it was impossible to repair.

A few weeks ago the National Science Foundation had announced the controlled dismantling of the Arecibo telescope due to security concerns after two support cables broke. However, one of the platforms of this telescope, located in Puerto Rico and known for being one of the largest in the world, collapsed this Tuesday, December 1. (Read: End of an era: the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico will be dismantled)

Francisco Córdoba, director of the scientific center, confirmed on Wapa TV, one of the local media, that the radio telescope platform collapsed in the morning due to faults in its structure. As Córdoba explained, the platform was suspended because the support cables, which were connected to the three towers, had collapsed. One of them on August 10 and the other on November 6, generating instability in the structure.

So far no people have been injured after the collapse of the platform. Deborah Martorell, a meteorologist, told the newspaper El Nuevo Día, which was close to the place when she heard the explosion of one of the cables. “At the weekend six broke and one broke while there. The employees already knew that there was no law to fall, that there was less than a week left. The way the threads broke was so fast that there was no way to stabilize it, “he added. (You can read: More than 50,000 signatures ask to reconsider the demolition of the Arecibo radio telescope)

This Monday, November 30, about 52,000 people had signed a popular petition to the White House to reconsider the decision to dismantle and demolish the radio telescope. However, its structure was too deteriorated, for this reason, on November 19, the National Science Foundation announced the dismantling and controlled demolition of the radio telescope.

The telescope – with a 305-meter deflector plate installed in a natural depression – housed the world’s most powerful planetary radar system, responsible for critical tracking observations of asteroids. Furthermore, it has been a key tool for many astronomical discoveries. (You can read: China has commissioned the world’s largest radio telescope)

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