Snapped Cable Damages Arecibo Observatory Radio Telescope

[hutchphd]

Summary:

Arecibo broken

Anyone have more information...here is Scott Manley report....not good!

 

[Drakkith]

Hope they get it back and running asap!!

 

[Tom.G]

Dated Aug. 18, 2020:
https://spacenews.com/arecibo-damage-to-take-months-to-repair/

Dated August 21, 2020. More history along with a little information:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/21/science/space-telescope-puerto-rico-arecibo.html

Short synopsis:
A few hundred feet of support cable came down and damaged several Aluminium panels in the main dish and some damage to the catwalk to the movable suspended part. No apparent equipment damage found so far.

The cable did not break, it pulled out of its end attachment. Strange, considering the attachment method. See the video in the initial post above for details on that.

The panels that make up the dish are no big deal to replace, they are just Aluminium panels with holes punched in them. The cable is more of a problem, it was custom made and it will take a few months to make a replacement. They also have to figure out how safe the catwalk to the instruments is; then repair it.

The repair work will be led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) which is still contributing to the operational funding.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[jedishrfu]

More on the final collapse yesterday with some drone footage:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03421-y

 

[nsaspook]

More on the final collapse yesterday with some drone footage:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03421-y

That type of long term cable damage would have been just about impossible to repair after one failed far below its rated capacity. The remaining cables with 1/3 of a 900 ton compression load balanced with anchor cables was a hair trigger that unfortunately got pulled.

 

[Drakkith]

More on the final collapse yesterday with some drone footage:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03421-y

That drone footage is unbelievable. You can actually see the paint on the cables come flying off as they get ripped apart!