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Today, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released shocking images of the Arecibo Observatory collapse in Puerto Rico. The video, captured on December 1, shows the moment the support cables snapped, causing the massive 900-ton structure suspended above Arecibo to fall onto the observatory’s iconic 1,000-foot-wide dish.
Videos of the collapse were captured by a camera located in Arecibo’s operations control center, as well as from a drone above the platform at the time of the collapse. The drone operator was able to adjust the drone’s camera once the platform started to fall and capture the moment of impact. NSF, which oversees Arecibo, had been carrying out hourly surveillance of the observatory with drones, since engineers warned the structure was on the verge of collapse in November. “I think we were just lucky and the drone operator was very adept at seeing what was going on and being able to turn the camera,” said Ashley Zauderer, NSF Program Manager for the Observatory of Arecibo, during a press conference.
The footage highlights the moment when several cables snapped, causing the platform to tip outward and hit the side of the antenna. The collapse also brought down the tops of the three support towers surrounding Arecibo, where cables had been connected to keep the platform aloft. “The cables that go from the top of Tower 4 to the platform – they’re very faint in the view of the camera, but they’re there,” said John Abruzzo, contractor at engineering consulting firm Thornton Tomasetti, hired by the University of Central Florida. “And so it’s those cables that break down near the top of the tower first, and then once they fail, the platform then loses its stability and starts to descend,” Abruzzo said, describing the first video. from the control center.
The collapse of Arecibo came as no surprise. Following the failure of two support cables in August and November, engineers concluded that there was no safe way to fix Arecibo and that the platform could fall on the antenna at any time. NSF was hoping to have a controlled demolition of the telescope before that happened, but the collapse happened before any kind of action could take place.
Now NSF is trying to find a way forward, which is mainly to figure out how to clean Arecibo in a safe manner. Engineers must perform a full environmental assessment of the area and determine the stability of the remaining structures.
Replacing Arecibo would be a much longer process, involving decisions by lawmakers. “When it comes to replacement, NSF has a very well-defined process for funding and building large-scale infrastructure – including telescopes,” Ralph Gaume, Director of the Astronomical Sciences Division at NSF, said. “It’s a multi-year process that involves Congress funding, as well as the assessment and needs of the scientific community. It is therefore very early for us to comment on the replacement. “
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