A new estimate suggests that it will cost between 30 30 million and 50 50 million to clean up the mess created by the collapse of the Irenic Arecibo Observatory dish. Late last year, an NSF report detailed post-disaster prospects and possible next steps.
The cause of the breach at the Ci Resibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is still being investigated, but the National Science Foundation, through the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021, was asked to report to Congress to “outline the causes and extent of the damage. Defense [Arecibo Observatory] The process of determining whether to install comparable technology on site with facilities and surrounding areas and any related cost estimates. ”
The NSF had only 60 days to prepare a report after the announcement of the law, which could explain why it is so thin in details. This Report Only seven pages long and full of information we already know. That said, the NSF provided some new details, such as estimates of cleaning costs, an overview of the damage to the facility and Cleaning update among other things.
To pull back, the supporting cable from the support tower was pulled from its gust on August 10, 2020, resulting in extensive damage to the following reflector panels. One of the main cables on the same tower broke several months later, causing further damage. Dish, which is used for radar and radio astronomy Since 1963. This Another cable The failure was particularly Harassed, As, “This cable broke under conditions that should be good in its support capacity, indicating that it may be weaker than expected, along with the rest of the major cables,” the new report said. Engineering companies brought in to evaluate the design said subsequent cable failures would be catastrophic, resulting in Decision 1,000-foot (305-)M) Dish. As plans were being made to demolish it Story The radio telescope, however, is a 900-ton platform Gave way, Broken On December 1, 2020.
According to the report, post-collapse observations showed that the platform and the Gregorian dome were “completely damaged for scientific purposes.” The top of Platform Support Towers 12 and 4 collapsed 59 feet (18 m) during the crash, and the top 121 feet (37 m) of Platform Support Tower 8 collapsed. “Further assessments of the structural integrity of the towers are ongoing,” the report said.
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The roof of the learning center suffered significant damage, but the N.S.F. Said it is worth repairing. The trailer used by educational and public outreach staff was completely “demolished”, while the visitor center was safely removed to avoid some minor damage caused by bits of concrete..
A private contractor and Are experts from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Currently performing forensics analysis to determine the cause of the original auxiliary cable socket failure. With the final reports of both contractors in December 2021, a separate contractor is conducting a forensic investigation at Arecibo. In addition to these efforts, the NSF asks that the cause of the cable failure be completed by a “rapid independent study” of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine..
A company that specializes in disaster cleanup and environmental remediation has been brought in to help. Soil contaminated with hydraulic oil, which was released during the fall, is sampled and removed. The cleanup team is also testing groundwater and surface water near the facility. The report states that the “Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan” is working to “prevent the migration of sediments and pollutants” from wildlife and plant surveys to help protect endangered species.
The report lists the initial cost estimates for the cleanup as between $ 30 million and and million અંત 50 million by now by the end of 2022.
The NSF is now working with the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office Fees and the Federal Advisory Council on Historical Preservation on the “Preservation and Preservation of Historically Important Elements of Structure and Place.” Valuable or valuable objects found during the cleaning process can go on display at the observatory or be sent to museums.
The future of the facility is unclear. The NSF says it is too early to say how the facility can be repaired or rebuilt to enable a variety of scientific efforts, adding that restoration will require “various efforts and funding.” The authors said “many technologies and more than a dozen specialized capabilities” are still in place, including a small 40-foot (12-meter) radio telescope and a LIDAR facility used to study the formation and motion of the field of ions. To repair or rediscover a large dish, the NSFA said that the process of establishing its newly registered scientific facility is based on a strict peer review of the priorities established by the scientific community and the intellectual aptitude and comprehensive implications of the proposed activity.
This should provide more information about the Arecibo Observatory and its future at a community workshop planned for next April.
That radio dish can be recreated The question on convenience is not out. a Proposal 50 450 million “Next Generation Arecibo Telescopes” were unveiled by the observatory last month. There have been dark days on Arecibo, but there is probably reason for optimism.
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