Wanda Vázquez is allocating USD 8 million for the reconstruction of the Arecibo radio telescope

Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced on Monday announced the allocation of $ 8 million for the reconstruction and eventual operation of the Arecibo Observatory.

By executive order, the governor awarded the money and also declared the area where the observatory was located as a historic zone.

The executive order establishes that the reconstruction of the observatory is part of the public policy of the government of Puerto Rico.

“The government of Puerto Rico is confident that the radio telescope’s collapse presents a tremendous opportunity to redesign it, taking into account the lessons learned and the recommendations of the scientific community, so that it remains relevant for decades,” said Vázquez Garced on a press conference. offered through the official website of La Fortaleza.

He indicated that the budget should cover the removal and disposal of the debris and the design of the new radio telescope.

The observatory’s radio telescope collapsed on December 1.

“For 57 years, this world-renowned facility has functioned as a research facility with the capacity for scientific discovery,” said the governor.

During the announcement, the governor was accompanied by the director of the observatory, Francisco Córdova; Gerardo Morrell, Director of Physics at the University of Puerto Rico and Carlos Padín, Professor of Science.