The Iconic Arecibo Observatory Will Be Demolished Following Cable Failures

by Ryan Whitwam

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico has figured prominently in our coverage of the cosmos here on ExtremeTech, so we’re sad to report that this iconic radio telescope will be demolished. That’s not because of a lack of funding or to clear the way for a new dish. The Arecibo dish was damaged following a series of cable failures, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) has decided it would be too dangerous to repair.

Construction of the observatory began in 1960, and it took three years to get the 1,000-foot (307-meter) spherical reflector up and running. As a radio observatory, the dish’s main job is to bounce faint radio signals up to the receiver, which hangs above the distinctive bowl. By moving the receiver with cables, astronomers can collect data from different parts of the sky. Arecibo also has four radio frequency transmitters maxing out at 20 terawatts of continuous power. Astronomers even used the array the transmit a message to any aliens who might be living in a distant globular cluster in 1974. It’s called the Arecibo Message.

The design of Arecibo has made it a highly adaptable stalwart of space research for decades, but the project took a turn several months ago. On August 10th, an auxiliary cable broke free and fell into the dish…