Puerto Rico's renowned radio telescopes could come down tumbling due to cable failures

Cables that support one of the world’s largest single-dish radio telescopes in the United States are slowly damaging, thus endangering one of Puerto Rico’s renowned scientific sites which is known for its major role in astronomical discoveries. The 1,000-foot-wide dish is located in the Arecibo Observatory which is right above the sinkhole in Puerto Rico’s lush mountain region. The dish has also been featured in various movies like Jodie Foster’s Contact and the James Bond movie GoldenEye. 

Puerto Rice Radio Telescope in danger 

As per reports, in an incident that took place last week, the telescope’s main steel cables snapped at only 624 pounds while it was capable of managing 1,200 pounds. Also, an auxiliary cable broke in August which tore the 100-foot hole and damaged the dome above it.

Astronomer Scott Ransom who works with the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves, said, "As someone who depends on Arecibo for my science, I’m frightened. It’s a very worrisome situation right now. There’s a possibility of cascading, catastrophic failure."

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(The largest single-dish radio telescopes at the Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Giant, aging cables that support the radio telescopes are slowly unraveling in this U.S. territory, threatening scientific projects that researchers say can’t be done elsewhere on the planet. Image Credits: AP)

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The University of Florida, which manages the facility, in a statement, said: "Each of the structure’s remaining cables is now supporting more weight than before, increasing the likelihood of another cable failure, which would likely result in the collapse of the entire structure."

The university further said that crews have also noticed wire breaks on the two remaining main cables. They also warned the employees and contractors of the risk. 

Financed by the US Department of Defence, the telescope was built in the 1960s. The telescope has endured many disasters including hurricanes and earthquakes. However, it was still being repaired from Hurricane Maria when the first cable snapped. As per officials, the fundings have not been worked out with the federal agencies. Also, a few new cables will be arriving next month. There are only a few cables now which are supporting the 900-ton platform.

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(With AP Inputs and Image)