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The famous Arecibo space telescope featured in the James Bond film GoldenEye collapsed in Puerto Rico after escalating security concerns.
One of the largest telescopes in the world, the observatory’s 900-ton instrument platform fell 450 feet to the reflector plate below on December 1, creating a devastating hole in the structure.
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The Arecibo telescope has become famous for its use in films including the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye and the 1997 sci-fi film Contact, starring Matthew McConaughey.
Senior research associate Jonathan Friedman, who lived near the telescope and worked there for 26 years, overheard the monumental incident on Tuesday, Dec.1 at 07.55 am local time.
He said, “It sounded like a rumble. I knew exactly what it was.
“I was screaming. Personally I was out of control … I have no words to express it. It’s a very deep, terrible feeling.”
The telescope has been a vital tool for radio astronomers for 57 years.
The US National Science Foundation said it was “saddened” by the collapse and will look for ways to help “the scientific community and maintain our strong relationship with the people of Puerto Rico.”
The monumental incident occurred just weeks after officials decided to dismantle the telescope for safety concerns.
Two cables holding the heavy viewing platform had broken since August, forcing officials to close the site.
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Last month, he was warned that the telescope was “at risk of catastrophic collapse” and that repairs could pose a fatal risk to construction workers.
NSF said in a statement: “Initial results indicate that the upper sections of all three … support towers of the telescope have broken.
“When the platform of the 900-ton instrument fell, the telescope’s support cables also fell.
“Preliminary assessments indicate that the observatory’s learning center suffered significant damage from falling cables.”
NSF added: “The main priorities are to maintain safety on the site, conduct a comprehensive damage assessment as quickly as possible, and take action to contain and mitigate any environmental damage caused by the facility 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.”
No injuries were reported after the incident and an investigation was launched to find out what happened.
The famous telescope was built in the 1960s with the aim of studying the ionized upper part of the earth’s atmosphere.
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It quickly became an all-purpose radio observatory and found the first evidence of an object known as a neutron star.
The telescope has also been used to listen to intelligent life in other parts of the cosmos and to track asteroids near Earth.
But the telescope may be best known for starring in the 1995 film GoldenEye, where Pierce Brosnan made his debut as a special agent.
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