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Unmanned Spaceflight.com _ Chit Chat _ Arecibo to be dismantled

Posted by: Marz Nov 19 2020, 07:06 PM

Repairs to failed support cables is considered too dangerous and the telescope may collapse.

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/19/936677582/world-renowned-arecibo-telescope-set-to-be-dismantled

Posted by: Explorer1 Nov 19 2020, 09:53 PM

Terrible news for all involved, especially for the radar observations of NEOs. But nothing to be done about it...
And the data will be pored over for decades to come, there is no doubt.

Posted by: stevesliva Dec 1 2020, 05:17 PM

AP is reporting that Arecibo dismantled itself
https://apnews.com/article/technology-arecibo-observatory-puerto-rico-science--0da6abb251f455977bf0c752348e712e

https://twitter.com/DeborahTiempo/status/1333747356605571072/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Rodrig_clan/status/1333814699000033291/photo/1

Posted by: Explorer1 Dec 3 2020, 04:35 PM

Footage from cameras and drones of the collapse has been released: https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/arecibo/
Not for the faint-heated....this is rather like watching a rocket launch fail, to use an UMSF metaphor.

Posted by: scalbers Dec 3 2020, 11:27 PM

I saw an opinion that this type of event was to be anticipated with hurricanes and earthquakes happening over the years. Hopefully this will get rebuilt just like Green Bank did.

Posted by: Antdoghalo Dec 4 2020, 12:06 AM

That is just heartbreaking to watch!
It's more like if the Hubble Space Telescope reached the end of it's life.
I hope it gets rebuilt even bigger with new technology.
I'd hate to have been the operator of that drone!