Arecibo radio telescope is decommissioned and will be torn down (Page 1/8)
maryjane NOV 20, 10:35 AM
As I mentioned in another thread the iconic radio telescope in Puerto Rico has suffered damage 2 different times in 2020, and is now deemed too dangerous to work in or to even attempt repair.
The US National Science Foundation is shutting it down and says it will be demolished.

Gaume and Ashley Zauderer, the program director for Arecibo Observatory at the NSF, said that the agency has hired engineers to develop a plan for a controlled decommissioning. Creating that plan and gathering the necessary approvals for it will take multiple weeks, they added.

The officials also declined to provide an idea of what that strategy would look like, although they mentioned the potential for helicopters or explosives to be considered.

In conjunction with the news conference, the NSF provided an engineering report from the firm leading the analysis of Arecibo Telescope after the second failure, which offers little more detail about the facility's fate.

"We believe the structure will collapse in the near future if left untouched," John Abruzzo, managing principal of Thornton Tomasetti, wrote. "Controlled demolition, designed with a specific collapse sequence determined and implemented with the use of explosives, will reduce the uncertainty and danger associated with collapse."

The severity of the situation stems from both the fact that two cables have already failed, and the way three separate engineering consultants were caught off-guard by the second failure. "The three expert companies that we brought in didn't provide any input or any inkling that there was an issue," Gaume said of the main cables after the August failure.

"It is, I think, just truly unfortunate that this main cable failed before we had a chance to get things stabilized," Zauderer said.

https://www.theverge.com/20...collapse-cable-break
https://www.space.com/areci...cope-to-be-destroyed
https://www.theverge.com/20...collapse-cable-break
TheDigitalAlchemist NOV 20, 01:04 PM
So remember when you're feeling very small and insecure
How amazingly unlikely is your birth
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space
Cause there's bugger-all down here on Earth
82-T/A [At Work] NOV 20, 07:17 PM

quote
Originally posted by maryjane:

As I mentioned in another thread the iconic radio telescope in Puerto Rico has suffered damage 2 different times in 2020, and is now deemed too dangerous to work in or to even attempt repair.
The US National Science Foundation is shutting it down and says it will be demolished.

Gaume and Ashley Zauderer, the program director for Arecibo Observatory at the NSF, said that the agency has hired engineers to develop a plan for a controlled decommissioning. Creating that plan and gathering the necessary approvals for it will take multiple weeks, they added.

The officials also declined to provide an idea of what that strategy would look like, although they mentioned the potential for helicopters or explosives to be considered.

In conjunction with the news conference, the NSF provided an engineering report from the firm leading the analysis of Arecibo Telescope after the second failure, which offers little more detail about the facility's fate.

"We believe the structure will collapse in the near future if left untouched," John Abruzzo, managing principal of Thornton Tomasetti, wrote. "Controlled demolition, designed with a specific collapse sequence determined and implemented with the use of explosives, will reduce the uncertainty and danger associated with collapse."

The severity of the situation stems from both the fact that two cables have already failed, and the way three separate engineering consultants were caught off-guard by the second failure. "The three expert companies that we brought in didn't provide any input or any inkling that there was an issue," Gaume said of the main cables after the August failure.

"It is, I think, just truly unfortunate that this main cable failed before we had a chance to get things stabilized," Zauderer said.

https://www.theverge.com/20...collapse-cable-break
https://www.space.com/areci...cope-to-be-destroyed
https://www.theverge.com/20...collapse-cable-break




I saw this... super bummed about this. I'd always wanted to go see it. I have a friend from Puerto Rico who's driven by it a couple of times and says the thing is absolutely massive... pictures don't do it justice.

Really sad, but I guess in the long run, it doesn't really serve the same purpose it used to. There are far better Radio Telescopes... like the Very Large Array in New Mexico (which is awesome).

Nothing lasts forever... but it is sad to see something like this just go. I put it akin to something like the Iowa class battleships.
theogre NOV 20, 07:33 PM
Arecibo has been on life support for years since they tried closing it before.
Once cables had problem(s) is no surprise going to pull it down as no-one wants to send Many Millions to rebuilt most to all of it.
Because very likely other cables need replacement not just failed cables. Towers and Anchors likely need complete rebuilt or replacement.

You have to remember it was built ~ 1960 likely w/ low bid contracts and been beaten again and again by about every storm hitting PR since even if you ignore other problems over 5 decades.
About only surprise to many lasted this long.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

blackrams NOV 20, 10:13 PM
Nothing we've built will last forever, even the pyramids will eventually fall into ruin.

Something like this telescope was doomed from the drawing board. Just be glad we had it as long as we did.

Rams
theogre NOV 22, 04:55 AM
Engineering report several pages down says all cables likely need replace... I still think towers and anchors likely have problems too and need major work done.

"new" aux cable fail and broke first then OE cable fail later at ~ 60% of working load.
Other OE cables look to failed but not broken completely right now.

http://www.naic.edu/~phil/h...gineering_report.pdf

Scott Manley Worlds Largest Radar Astronomy Dish To Be Demolished!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEe4Wlc5Vp0
Wichita NOV 22, 06:03 AM
It looks like it had a great run. Built in 1963. Wow! Over 50-years.

I'm so impressed what once we really built for science back in the 60s. From this telescope, to Nuclear plants, sending people to the moon, SR-71 Blackbird and etc.

Now, we don't do anything. All that is frowned upon because of the anti-science left. So we are left with our old impressive relics of the scientific past that really showed us what humanity is capable of when we cared about science and cooperation.

While we let our scientific wonder crumble and get decommissioned, such as this telescope, space shuttle (space program all together) and so much more. Because we care more about anti-science stuff like male and females are just social constructs and 2+2 doesn't equal 4 crap of post-modern anti-science thinking that has perpetuated into our institutions.


China presses on though.

China has one that is larger they built a few years ago.
rinselberg NOV 22, 08:55 AM
"Wassup America! It's your boy IceCube."

CLICK FOR FULL SIZE

Click to show

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 11-22-2020).]

sourmash NOV 22, 09:22 AM
China also produces a lot of junky and dangerous structures for their domestic population.
maryjane NOV 22, 09:37 AM
I wouldn't say the US is doing 'nothing'.


SpaceX will try to repeat that performance later today from the Florida coast as it launches another batch of Starlink sats on a different flight proven 1st stage. Recovery is slated to be on a drone ship in the Atlantic.

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 11-22-2020).]