A new estimate suggests it will take anywhere from $ 30 million to $ 50 million to clean up the mess created by the collapse of the iconic Arecibo Observatory saucer. according to an NSF report late last year detailing the aftermath of the disaster and possible next steps.
The investigation into the cause of the collapse at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is still ongoing, but the National Science Foundation was asked through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, to submit a report to Congress stating the ‘ causes and extent of the damage, the plan to remove debris in a safe and environmentally friendly manner, the preservation of the associated [Arecibo Observatory] facilities and surrounding areas, and the process of determining whether to install similar technology on site, along with any associated cost estimates. “
The NSF had only 60 days to prepare the report after the law came into effect, which may explain why it is so painfully thin on details. The report is only seven pages long and packed with information we already knew. That said, the NSF has provided some new details such as the cleanup cost estimate, a breakdown of the facility damage and an update on, among other things, the clearance.
To summarize, an auxiliary cable from a support tower came loose from the base on August 10, 2020, resulting in extensive damage to the reflector panels underneath. A main cable on the same tower broke several months later, resulting in even more damage to the dish, which has been used for radar and radio astronomy since 1963The second cable failure was above all disturbingas “this cable broke under conditions that should have been well within its support capabilities, indicating that, along with the other main cables, it may have been weaker than expected,” the new report said. Engineering firms called in to evaluate the structure said another cable failure would be catastrophic, resulting in the decision every 1,000 feet (305-meters) dishWhile plans were being made for the legendary radio telescope, however, the 900-tonne platform gave away, to collapse on December 1, 2020.
Inspections conducted after the collapse showed that the platform and Gregorian dome were a “complete loss for scientific purposes,” the report said. The top 59 feet (18 meters) of the platform support towers 12 and 4 broke off during the collapse and the top 121 feet (37 meters) of the platform support tower 8 broke off. As the report states, “further assessments of the towers’ structural integrity are continuing.”
G / O Media can receive a commission
The roof of the Learning Center was seriously damaged, but the NSF said it is fixable. A trailer used by the educational and public outreach staff was completely ‘demolished’, while the visitor center got away unharmed, aside from some minor damage caused by falling pieces of concrete, the new report said.
A private contractor and experts at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is currently conducting a forensic analysis to determine the cause of the original auxiliary cable connection failure. A separate contractor is conducting the forensic investigation in Arecibo, with final reports from both contractors expected in December 2021. In addition to these efforts, the NSF is calling for an “accelerated independent study” of the cause of the cable failures by the National Academies of Sciences , engineering and medicine
A company specializing in disaster cleanup and environmental remediation has been called in to help. Soils contaminated with hydraulic oil that were released during collapse are sampled and disposed of. The clean-up team is also testing ground and surface water near the facility. According to the report, a “Rainwater Pollution Prevention Plan” is underway to “prevent sediment and pollutants from migrating off site”, as well as wildlife and vegetation studies to help protect vulnerable species.
The report lists preliminary cost estimates for the cleanup at between $ 30 million and $ 50 million from now through the end of 2022.
The NSF is now working with the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office and the Federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to “protect and preserve historically significant features of the structures and site.” Valuable or valuable items found during the clean-up process can be displayed in the observatory or sent to museums.
The future of the facility remains unclear. The NSF says it is too early to know how the facility could be repaired or reconstructed to allow for different kinds of scientific endeavors, adding that restoration “requires different levels of effort and funding.” The authors said that “many technologies and more than a dozen different capabilities” are still present at the site, including a smaller 40-foot (12-meter) radio telescope and a LIDAR facility used to monitor the composition and movement of the ionosphere. to study. As for repairing or reinventing the great dish, the NSF said its “process of establishing a major new scientific facility rests on priorities established by the scientific community and a rigorous peer review of its intellectual merit and wider impact. of the proposed activity. “
A community workshop scheduled for April should provide more information about the Arecibo Observatory and its future.
That a radio dish can be rebuilt at the facility is not excluded. A proposal to build a $ 450 million “Next Generation Arecibo Telescope” was submitted by the observatory last month. These have been dark days in Arecibo, but perhaps there is reason for optimism.