The famous alien hunting telescope collapsed in December. Now researchers may know why.
Ongoing investigation of the December collapse of the iconic radio telescope Arecibo Observatory Puerto Rico provides early evidence that manufacturing problems may have caused the failure.
The huge scientific platform of the 900-ton telescope was hung on a vast radio dish by three dozen support cables.But in August 2020 one of them Cable slipped out of socketThe second cable was completely broken in November before the failure was repaired. The National Science Foundation (NSF), which owns the site, decided to discontinue the equipment because the platform was too unstable to be safely repaired. Before that happens The telescope collapsed Alone on December 1st.
Observatory director Francisco Cordova said in a panel discussion on January 21 that engineers have been investigating cables since August and crew members have been cleaning rubble and monitoring environmental issues. Cordoba told a panel focusing on small solar system objects such as asteroids to notify the National Academy Commission, which is compiling documents that will shape the priorities of planetary science for the next decade. “In general, I think it’s going in the right direction.”
Relation: Horrible footage shows the collapse of the Arecibo Observatory’s giant radio telescope
In Cordoba, the telescope’s azimuth arm helps control the instrument, and the suspended dome of the antenna and facility Radar transmitter, Has already been removed from the site. Environmental engineers also collected two potentially dangerous substances used on the platform, he said.
The next priority is to get rid of the remaining plastic foam debris. To reach that material, workers dismantled part of the giant Arecibo Observatory, 1,000 feet (305 meters) in diameter. According to Cordoba, the observatory team is also assessing how much of the dish itself can be rescued.
“There is still a lot of debate about how much primary reflectors can be saved and how to do that,” said Cordoba. “The current focus is on the safe removal of the platform structure, and then we’ll start from there.”
At the same time, two forensic studies are assessing the cause of the telescope’s collapse. One study focuses on so-called auxiliary cables. These 12 cables were added in the 1990s when the observatory installed a huge hanging dome. The appearance of the telescope In the movie “Contact” from the cameo before James Bond’s “GoldenEye”. The first cable to fail was one of these auxiliary cables, which slipped out of the socket and connected to one of the three support towers surrounding the dish.
“Preliminary research revealed that these cables had manufacturing errors, especially because certain structural elements were severely degraded due to improper socketing procedures,” Cordova said. I am. “But the final forensics is not yet complete.”
Relation: Scientists say that losing the Arecibo Observatory creates holes that cannot be filled.
The second forensic study focuses on the main cable, which is original to the structure of the telescope in the early 1960s.One of these major cables Snap in NovemberDespite the engineer’s estimate that it carried only about 60% of the weight it could have withstood.
While they are working, site engineers are separating two pieces that may be associated with forensic examinations. In addition, Cordoba said officials are evaluating debris that has been removed because it may be of historical importance so that the item can be preserved.
Cordoba emphasized that both cleanup and investigation processes are underway. In addition, the NSF is working individually on understanding the collapse and assessing the site in the future. Report requested by Congress By the end of February.
And the answer may never be clear. “Sure, there are usually a number of items that contributed to a particular failure, rather than a single item that contributed,” Cordoba said. In addition to the aging facilities, we have struggled in Puerto Rico for the past few years. In 2017, Hurricane Maria struck the island and had more experience during 2020. 10,000 earthquakes..
“Basically, we were shaking all the time. That could have been a factor,” Cordoba said. “It is still being analyzed by the engineering team.”
Send an email to Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her on Twitter @ meghanbartels.To follow On Twitter @ Spacedotcom and Facebook.
The famous alien hunting telescope collapsed in December. Now researchers may know why.
Source link The famous alien hunting telescope collapsed in December. Now researchers may know why.
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