Credit: USRAĪ 12-metre (39-foot) dish used as a phase reference for Very Long Baseline Interferometry was also lost, according to USRA. The 430 MHz radar line feed is seen extending to the lower right in this image. Arecibo uses different equipment for radio astronomy observations, but still relies on the same huge dish reflector. The 430 MHz line feed was used to transmit and receive radio waves for atmospheric research. But the dish suffered several punctures when a 29-metre (96-foot) line feed antenna fell from a catenary more than 100 metres above the reflector, officials said. The main dish of the famed telescope, which spans 305 metres (1,000 feet) across, was reported intact. While electricity and standard communications lines remain out, reports from the observatory were transmitted via shortwave radio, USRA said in a statement. USRA is part of a multi-institution team charged with operating Arecibo Observatory by the National Science Foundation. Staff and family members who rode out the storm at the observatory Wednesday are safe, but officials are still trying to contact other employees who sheltered in their homes and other safe places, according to the Universities Space Research Association, or USRA. Initial reports from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico indicate powerful winds from Hurricane Maria destroyed an antenna and damaged the radio telescope’s huge 300-metre (1,000-foot) dish reflector, but the bulk of the facility remains intact and workers sheltered there were unharmed. participation in international scientific efforts.File photo of Arecibo Observatory. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. as a global leader in research and innovation. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. The Observatory has provided hundreds of people within the community clean potable water, and has given support to FEMA officials and search and rescue operations.Īya Collins, NSF, (703) 292-7737, email: Basin, SRI International, (650) 859-3845, email: U.S. The radio telescope is already operational and running scientific observations as permitted by available resources. The Observatory sustained less damage than anticipated to equipment and facilities. The staff has spent the past week performing cleanup activities as well as inspecting the physical structures and the research equipment. We will provide further updates once we have more information.Īll Arecibo Observatory staff are safe and accounted for. After the damage assessments are completed, NSF will evaluate whether any adjustments need to be made to our ongoing environmental review process regarding future operations of Arecibo Observatory. At this time, we cannot predict when research operations at Arecibo Observatory might resume, however test observations to evaluate performance have begun. As a result of the relatively intact Arecibo Observatory infrastructure, the Observatory is currently being used as a search and rescue hub by FEMA. Preliminary assessments describe minimal damage in comparison to many other parts of Puerto Rico. Inspections to assess the infrastructure are underway. While we know that there is some damage to Arecibo Observatory, we do not yet know the full extent of the damage. The number one priority for NSF is the safety and recovery for Puerto Rico's population and any concerns regarding NSF activities are secondary to that top priority. NSF is deeply concerned about the impact of Hurricane Maria on the people of Puerto Rico, and our thoughts go out to Puerto Rico at this challenging time. NSF Acting Assistant Director Jim Ulvestad issued the following statement to address continued concern. Operations at the Observatory are suspended until further notice. While Arecibo Observatory suffered some damage, initial indications are that the damage was less severe than might have been expected from a storm of the magnitude of Hurricane Maria. The eye of the storm passed over Arecibo Observatory, which is operated and managed for the National Science Foundation (NSF) by SRI International, Universities Space Research Association (USRA), and Universidad Metropolitana (UMET). With winds of 155 miles per hour, Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico Sept. Telephone numbers or other contact information mayīe out of date please see current contact information at media This material is available primarily for archival
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