[ad_1]
The famous Arecibo Observatory telescope, which contributed to investigations of planets, asteroids and extraterrestrial life, as well as withstanding hurricanes, rain, humidity and strong earthquakes, is collapsing and, therefore, will have to close. It is probably the end point of nearly 60 years of history in one of the most important space observatories in the world.
After two support cables were broken, the engineers responsible for the telescope concluded that even a possible arrangement could jeopardize the safety of the Observatory’s employees and other equipment.
Located in the municipality of Arecibo in Puerto Rico, the radio telescope was built in the early 1960s and went down in history ten years later when it was used to send a message to alien civilizations in 1974. But in August 2020 one of the secondary cables broke and fell onto the reflective plate, suspended from these cables, leaving part of the structure broken.
Activities at the observatory were halted at that time, but in early November another cable was broken and a new hole in the reflector plate and damaged neighboring cables were opened, although the responsible engineers were already preparing a plan to rebuild and preserve the damaged structure.
“NSF has decided to start the planning process for a controlled decommissioning of the 305-meter telescope”He also announced Jones, who added that the causes of the damage to the cables and consequent destruction of the structure have not yet been identified.
These cables support a 900-tonne platform – the reflector plate – which hangs over the satellite dish and allows scientists to steer the observatory towards a specific side of the sky. On this platform, there are antennas, radar transmitters and more, so the scientist believes the suspended platform is the scientific heart of the observatory.
After considering three reports from engineering teams, the National Science Foundation (NSF), which owns the facility, decided that the observatory is not stable enough.
“Our goal is to find a way to preserve the telescope without putting anyone’s safety at risk”said Sean Jones. “However, after receiving and reviewing the engineering assessments, we have found no way to do it safely.”he concluded.
Drones and cameras were also used to monitor the facility and assess the condition of the remaining cables, concluding that some of these cables are also about to break. According to the analysis of the engineering teams, if another cable in Tower 4 breaks, the platform will collapse on the reflector plate and will likely cause the towers to fall as well.
Citing safety concerns, the company ruled out any possibility of repairing the observatory and recommended a controlled demolition of the facility.
.
[ad_2]
Source link
