One of the most iconic scientific facilities The world is at the end of its life. Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, which is known from the Bond film Golden Eye or sci-fi movie Contact, will soon be decommissioned due to poor technical condition. She decided on that National Science Foundation (NSF), which operates the facility.
The observatory is known mainly for its radio telescopewhose parabola has a diameter of 305 meters and is still the second largest facility of its kind in the world. Due to its location, it is a technical “monster” in the middle of nature sought after tourist area, which is also one of the reasons why it is being considered very seriously.
The problem is not so much the dish itself as technical equipment hung above it. There are three in the immediate vicinity hundred meter steel beams, among which are stretched ropes. Approximately 900 tons of ropes and other material are suspended on them. In recent months, some ropes have ruptured and structural engineers are concerned about the possible collapse of some columns. One of them stands in the immediate vicinity of the Visitor Center, where the steps of most visitors are directed.
According to expert estimates, unfortunately the device cannot be repaired to a state where it would not pose a threat to its surroundings. At present, the area of the facility is evacuated and has been declared around it danger zone, in which an entry ban is ordered. “This decision is not easy for NSF, but human safety is our number one priority,” said Sean Jones, assistant director of the NSF’s directorate of mathematics and physical sciences, during a conversation with reporters.
The Arecibo Observatory has a very successful history. Its construction began in 1960 and was put into operation in 1963. With its help, it was discovered in 1974 the first binary and also served for the reception and research of radio waves from space. In 1974, scientists used it as a transmitter of a message to potential space civilizations. The biggest disaster in recent years has been Hurricane Maria for Arecibo, which devastated it in 2017.
Source: theverge.com
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