Arecibo radio telescope collapses
Posted: Fri, Dec 4, 2020, 12:03 PM ET (1703 GMT)
The giant Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed Tuesday, as officials had feared could happen. The instrument platform, suspended above the 305-meter dish, fell Tuesday morning, crashing into the dish below. No one was injured. Two cables supporting the platform had broken in recent months, and the National Science Foundation announced last month it would seek a "controlled decommissioning" of the telescope because engineers found it would be unsafe for workers to attempt repairs given the risk of an uncontrolled collapse.
The giant Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed Tuesday, as officials had feared could happen. The instrument platform, suspended above the 305-meter dish, fell Tuesday morning, crashing into the dish below. No one was injured. Two cables supporting the platform had broken in recent months, and the National Science Foundation announced last month it would seek a "controlled decommissioning" of the telescope because engineers found it would be unsafe for workers to attempt repairs given the risk of an uncontrolled collapse.
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