RIP Aricebo Observatory

The US National Science Foundation (NSF), which funds about two-thirds of the observatory’s annual US$12-million budget, has decided to continue operating it in collaboration with as-yet-to-be-decided partners. Over the next 5 years, the agency will reduce its annual contribution from $8.2 million to $2 million, with the rest coming from the unspecified partner institutions.

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Without a reliable power supply, the observatory cannot restart its planetary radar, which tracks and characterizes near-Earth asteroids. NASA supplies $3.7 million — about one-third of Arecibo’s budget — for this work.

The NSF estimates that it will take between $4 million and $8 million to fix the hurricane damage at the observatory, Ulvestad says. The agency “intends to repair Arecibo to its pre-hurricane condition”, he says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssHkMWcGat4

wide shot, apparently taken from the Visitors Center,
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Footage from a drone observing the top of tower 4 shows that the entire sequence, from the first visual wire break to the remaining cables being torn from their mounts, only took five seconds.
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The cable in August didn’t snap, it simply pulled lose from its mount. It was suspected that the cable may have been incorrectly installed, but as it was only a backup, the situation was not seen as critical. But when the second cable failed in November it was found to have snapped at just 60% of its minimum breaking strength.
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This immediately called into question the condition of the remaining cables, and ultimately lead to the decision by the NSF to proceed with a controlled demolition of the Observatory that would preserve as much of the scientific equipment as possible. Unfortunately, the remaining cables didn’t last long enough to put that plan into action.