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Operations at the Arecibo Observatory (pictured here in the spring of 2019) are halted as engineers assess damage from a cable that broke in November 2020.
(University of Central Florida)
- The operations of one of the world’s largest radio telescopes are on hold.
- The installation follows asteroids close to Earth.
- Located in Puerto Rico, it has been battered by hurricanes and earthquakes.
The operations of a giant telescope that tracks asteroids near Earth and is famous for sending a message to aliens have been halted after the failure of two cables that have helped support the structure in recent months.
The last cable break at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico occurred on Friday, following a similar incident in August. According to a press release from the University of Central Florida, the two damaged the telescope’s massive reflector plate, which covers approximately 20 acres of land.
“This is certainly not what we wanted to see, but the important thing is that no one gets hurt,” Francisco Cordova, director of the observatory, said in the statement.
UCF is part of a consortium that manages the facility, built in the 1960s.
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Battered for decades by hurricanes, storms and earthquakes, cable breaks are the latest blow to one of the world’s most powerful radio telescopes. It was closed for several months after Hurricane Maria in 2017, according to space.com. And earlier this year, the telescope shut down in January and part of February due to a series of earthquakes that hit Puerto Rico.
Repairs to the August cable break were scheduled to begin this week.
“Now,” Cordova said. “There is a lot of uncertainty until we can stabilize the structure. He has our full attention. We are assessing the situation with our experts and hope to have more to share soon.”
Arecibo is used for scientific research and to track asteroids close to Earth. But he’s probably best known for a message that was transmitted from the telescope to the far reaches of the Milky Way in 1974 as part of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or SETI, program.
The cause of the cable breaks is still under investigation, but officials believe the second one broke due to the additional load it took after the first failed, according to UCF. The cables and the platform they support have been closely monitored since August, and there were known broken wires on the main cable that failed on Friday.
During this time, a security zone is in place around the antenna and the only people authorized on site are those responding to the incident.
Cordova has said the telescope will return to its mission, but it is not known how long the repairs could take.
“It’s not good, but we remain committed to bringing the facility back online,” he said. “It is too important a tool for the advancement of science.”
A cable break in August damaged the massive reflector dish at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. A second break caused further damage in November.
(University of Central Florida)
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