[ad_1]
A second cable fails at NSF’s Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico
Press release from: University of Central Florida
Published: Sunday 8 November 2020
Engineers are examining the new damage and considering how to best stabilize the structure.
ORLANDO, November 8, 2020 – A main cable supporting the Arecibo Observatory broke on Friday at 7:39 pm Puerto Rico time.
Unlike the auxiliary cable which failed in the same facility on August 10th, this main cable did not slip out of its socket. It broke and fell on the reflector below, causing further damage to the dish and other nearby cables. Both cables were connected to the same support tower. No one was injured and engineers are already working to determine the best way to stabilize the structure.
A safety zone has been set up around the antenna as a precaution and only the personnel needed to respond to the incident are authorized on site.
Officials haven’t determined why the main cable broke, but they suspect it’s related to the extra load the remaining cables have carried since August. Since then, a monitoring team has closely monitored all cables and the platform as part of the facility’s safety and emergency repair plan. Observers had noticed and were tracking broken wires on the main cable that failed on Friday. The facility was awaiting a team of engineers this week who were due to begin temporary emergency repairs related to the August accident.
“This is certainly not what we wanted to see, but the important thing is that no one was hurt, ”said Francisco Cordova, the director of the observatory. “We were careful in our assessment and prioritized safety in planning the repairs that were due to start on Tuesday. Now this. There is a lot of uncertainty until we are able to stabilize the structure. It has our full attention. We are evaluating the situation with our experts and hope to have more content to share soon. “
The University of Central Florida, which operates the facility under a cooperation agreement with Universidad Ana G. Méndez and Yang Enterprises Inc. for the US National Science Foundation, worked overnight with WSP engineering firms, Thornton Tomasetti and Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc find a strategy to deal with the new breakup. UCF kept these companies in September in connection with the first cable. UCF also notified NSF, which owns the facility, and NASA. Drones and cameras are also used to continue monitoring the facility.
The team hopes to be able to reduce tension in the existing cables in the tower and install steel reinforcements to temporarily relieve some of the additional load that is distributed between the remaining cables. Experts are being mobilized to get the job done as quickly as possible. The team will try to speed up the arrival of two new cables already in order. This is the current plan pending further evaluation, which will take place in the coming days.
UCF has a pending additional funding request with NSF to make temporary repairs related to the original break. There is no estimate of the costs for the new repairs that will be needed at this time.
Since the August accident, engineers have worked to determine the cause of the initial failure and to create temporary and long-term repair plans. As there was no obvious cause for the breakdown, the intricacies of such a large and unique structure that was built in the 1960s and the need to prioritize safety above all else, the development of a repair plan temporary emergency took some time. The first repairs were scheduled to be implemented early next week. For more information on the work in progress relating to the first break, click here.
“This is not good, but we remain committed to getting the facility back online,” Cordova said. “It is too important a tool for the advancement of science.”
The Arecibo Observatory it houses one of the most powerful telescopes on the planet. Its instruments are used by scientists around the world to conduct research in the fields of atmospheric science, planetary science, radio astronomy and radar astronomy. Arecibo is also home to a team running the Planetary Radar Project supported by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observations Program in NASA’s Office of Planetary Defense Coordination through a grant awarded to the UCF.
Although the facility has suspended most of its operations since the August incident, the researchers continue to use data already collected by Arecibo to further their research. The structure has withstood many hurricanes, tropical storms and earthquakes since it was built more than 50 years ago. Through it all, the facility has continued to contribute to significant breakthroughs in space research in the area of gravitational waves, asteroid characterization, planetary exploration, and more.
CONTACT: Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala, UCF Office of Research, zenaida.kotala@ucf.
NSF Media Affairs at [email protected]
Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala
Deputy Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Communications
Office of Research and College of Graduate Studies
University of Central Florida
cell: 407-446-6567
[email protected]
// end //
Other press releases and status reports or major news.
Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link
