Clean-up costs for damaged Arecibo observatory could reach $ 50 million

A new estimate suggests it will cost between $ 30 million and $ 50 million to clean up the mess created by the collapse of the iconic Arecibo Observatory dish. at the end of last year, according to an NSF report detailing the consequences of the disaster and possible next steps.

The investigation into the cause of the collapse of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is still ongoing, but the National Science Foundation, through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, has been asked to provide a report to the Congress describing “causes and extent of damage, plan for disposal of debris in a safe and environmentally sound manner, preservation of [Arecibo Observatory] the facilities and surrounding areas, as well as the process for determining whether to implement comparable technology at the site, and the associated cost estimates. “

The NSF only had 60 days to produce the report when the law was enacted, which may explain why it’s so terribly thin on the details. The report is only seven pages long and packed with information we already knew. That said, the NSF has provided new details, such as the estimated cleanup costs, an overview of the damage to the facility and an update on cleaning, among other things.

To recap, an auxiliary cable from a support tower came loose from its socket on August 10, 2020, causing significant damage to the reflector panels below. A main cable on the same tower broke several months later, further damaging the antenna, which was used for radar and radio astronomy since 1963. The second cable failure was above all disturbing, as “this cable broke under conditions that should have been well within its supporting capabilities, indicating that it, with the remaining main cables, may have been weaker than expected,” according to the new report. Engineering firms commissioned to assess the structure declared that subsequent failure of the cable would be catastrophic, resulting in the decision to put the 1000 feet (305-metre) dish. While plans were being made to demolish the legendary radio telescope, however, the 900-ton platform gave in, collapse December 1, 2020.

Inspections carried out after the collapse showed the platform and the Gregorian dome to be a “total loss for scientific purposes,” according to the report. The upper 59 feet (18 meters) of platform support towers 12 and 4 failed during the collapse, and the upper 121 feet (37 meters) of platform support tower 8 became detached. As the report states, “further assessments of the structural integrity of the towers are ongoing.”

The roof of the learning center sustained significant damage, but the NSF says it’s fixable. A trailer used by education and public awareness staff was completely ‘demolished’, while the visitor center left unscathed except for some minor damage from falling pieces of concrete. , indicates the new report.

A private entrepreneur and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center experts are currently conducting a forensic analysis to determine the cause of the original auxiliary cable plug failure. A separate contractor is leading the forensic investigation at Arecibo, with final reports from both contractors due in December 2021. In addition to these efforts, the NSF is calling for an “independent expedited study” into the cause of the cable failures be carried out by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

A company specializing in disaster clean-up and environmental rehabilitation was contacted. Soils contaminated with hydraulic oils, which were released during the collapse, are sampled and removed. The clean-up team also tests groundwater and surface water near the facility. A “stormwater pollution prevention plan” is underway to “prevent sediments and pollutants from migrating off the site”, as are surveys of wildlife and vegetation to help protect vulnerable species, according to the report.

The report lists preliminary cost estimates for the cleanup between $ 30 million and $ 50 million by the end of 2022.

The NSF is currently working with the Office of Historic Preservation of the State of Puerto Rico and the Federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation on “the protection and preservation of historically significant elements of the structures and the site”. Any valuables or valuables found during the cleaning process could be displayed at the observatory or sent to museums.

The future of the facility remains uncertain. The NSF says it is still too early to know how the facility could be repaired or rebuilt to allow for different types of scientific effort, adding that the restoration “will require different levels of effort and funding.” The authors said that “many technologies and more than a dozen distinct capabilities” are still in place at the site, including a smaller 12-meter radio telescope and a LIDAR facility used to study the composition and motion of the air. ‘ionosphere. Regarding the repair or reinvention of the big dish, the NSF has stated that its “process of creating any significant new science facility is based on priorities set by the scientific community and a rigorous peer review of intellectual merit and broader impacts of the proposed activity.

A community workshop scheduled for next April should provide more information on the Arecibo Observatory and its future.

That a satellite dish could be rebuilt installation is not out of the question. A proposal to build a $ 450 million “next-generation Arecibo telescope” was deposited by the observatory last month. It has been dark days at Arecibo, but there may be grounds for optimism.