Arecibo radio telescope: Puerto Rico allocates $ 8 million to rebuild it
Source: HW Upgrade added 04th Jan 2021
The Arecibo radio telescope now seemed destined to remain only in the memories of scientists and enthusiasts, but the governor of Puerto Rico wanted to give a strong signal by allocating 8 million dollars for the reconstruction!
by Mattia Speroni published 02 January 2021 , at 10: 01 in the Science and Technology channel
NASA
It seems that the fate of the Arecibo radio telescope has not yet been written. After the disastrous collapse of early December, following the damage of August and November last year, a new structure could be reborn. This is what many researchers from all over the world hope, allowing them to continue the studies carried out over the years. A first concrete move came from Puerto Rico .
Arecibo telescope could have a second life
The good news is that Wanda Vázquez Garced , Governor of Puerto Rico, has allocated $ 8 million to carry out the reconstruction of the Arecibo radio telescope thus laying a “first stone” to make the structure of scientific and popular interest in the area shine again.
This is reported by the El Nuovo Dia site but also on the official profile of the governor you can read about the intervention that is intended to be carried out in the area. In fact, Garced wrote “the collapse of the radio telescope offers the opportunity to redesign it, taking into account the lessons learned and the recommendations of the community scientific to make it relevant for decades, that’s why we signed the OE 2020 – 096 to establish its reconstruction “.
The governor added “we have established a budget $ 8 million for reconstruction efforts, which must include remedying environmental damage with the safe removal and disposal of affected material, which has already begun under the supervision of the National Science Foundation “.
The money allocated should allow to take part in the disposal and planning of the new Arecibo radio telescope . However, it will also take action by other bodies for the reconstruction work to actually be successful. However, it is an important step towards a new beginning.
Francisco Córdova, director of the observatory, also added that the structure is “an icon of Puerto Rican culture” . The area has also been declared of historical interest due to its importance. Now it will be up to the National Science Foundation, owner of the Arecibo radio telescope to decide what to do. Much will depend on the money available to the NSF and whether there are other projects deemed more important. The move by Puerto Rico is still important in the perspective of the reconstruction.