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A starry sky over the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Credit: University of Central Florida
The instrument platform of the 305-meter telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico fell at approximately 7:55 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time on December 1, causing damage to the dish and surrounding facilities.
No injuries were reported as a result of the collapse. The US National Science Foundation has ordered the area around the telescope to be cleared of unauthorized personnel since a cable failure on November 6. Local authorities will keep the area cordoned off while engineers work to assess the stability of other observatory structures.
The top priorities are maintaining site safety, conducting a full damage assessment as quickly as possible, and taking steps 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.
Damage suffered to the 305-meter telescope at the Arecibo Observatory. Credit: University of Central Florida
“We are saddened by this situation, but grateful that no one was injured,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “When engineers informed NSF that the structure was unstable and presented a hazard to Arecibo crews and personnel, we took their warnings seriously and continued to emphasize the importance of safety for all involved. Our focus now is to assess the damage, find ways to restore operations in other parts of the observatory, and work to continue supporting the scientific community and the people of Puerto Rico. “
The investigation into the crash of the platform is ongoing. Initial findings indicate that the upper section of the three supporting towers of the 305-meter telescope broke. When the 900-ton instrument platform fell, the telescope support cables also fell.
Preliminary assessments indicate that the observatory’s learning center suffered significant damage from falling cables.
Engineers arrived at the site today. Working with the University of Central Florida, which runs the observatory, NSF expects to have environmental assessment workers on site as soon as tomorrow. Observatory workers will take appropriate safety precautions as a full site safety assessment is underway.
“We knew it was a possibility, but it’s still heartbreaking to see,” says Elizabeth Klonoff, UCF vice president for research. “Personnel safety is our number one priority. We already have engineers on site to help assess the damage and determine the stability and safety of the remaining structure. We will continue to work with the NSF and other stakeholders to find ways to support the scientific mission in Arecibo. “
NSF intends to continue authorizing 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 geospatial research tool. These repairs were funded through supplemental Congressional appropriations to address the damage caused by Hurricane Maria.
Once security is established at the site, other work will take place at the observatory as conditions allow.
Background
Although the fall of the platform was not planned, NSF, UCF and other stakeholders, including engineering companies contracted by UCF, had been monitoring developments at the 305-meter telescope that indicated an increased risk of collapse.
In August, one of the cables of the 305-meter telescope unexpectedly detached. The remaining cables were expected to carry the load without issue while engineers worked on plans to address the damage. However, a second cable broke on November 6. Subsequently, engineers found that the second broke at about 60% of what should have been its minimum breaking strength, indicating that other cables may be weaker than expected, and cautioned that the structure could not be repaired. in a safe way. .
Both cables were connected to the same support tower. If the tower were to lose another cable, the official engineer noted, the likely result would be an unexpected collapse. Since NSF’s announcement on November 19 that it would plan to dismantle the 305-meter telescope, surveillance drones have found additional exterior cable breaks in two cables connected to the same tower. One showed between 11-14 broken outer cables as of Nov. 30, while another showed around eight. Each cable is made up of approximately 160 wires.
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