Another cable fell into the reflector resource at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, another disappointing setback for this beloved service.

Arecibo Observatory’s main support cable failed, falling into resource below 7:30 pm Puerto Rico time on Friday, November 6, Reports UCF Today. The extent of the damage is not yet known, but the resource was further damaged, as were some nearby cables. No one was injured, but a security cordon was set up around the site as a precaution. Since there are two failed support cables within three months, it is essential that the response teams now find a way to stabilize the structure.

the first Incident On August 10, a 3-inch-thick auxiliary cable fell into the observatory’s main reflector dish and created a 10-foot-long gash. The cause of the failure has not yet been determined, but the auxiliary cable seems to have slipped out of its socket. This does not seem to apply to the main cable, which simply burst and may be the result of overloading the remaining cables, observers said. As UCF Officials are aware of the wires in the main cable and today engineers will carry out emergency repairs, reports said.

Like the failed support cable, the main cable also connects to the main support tower. The incident last August also caused damage Gregorian Dome And the platform used to access the dome. The facility at Arecibo is managed by the University of Central Florida on behalf of the US National Science Foundation, and is run by Universidad Ana G.

Here is what Francisco Cordova, director of observation, told UCF In response to this latest incident today:

“It simply came to our notice then. We are careful in our evaluation and prioritize safety in planning repairs that should begin on Tuesday. Now it is. There is a lot of uncertainty until the structure is stabilized. We have our full attention to this. We are evaluating the situation with our experts and hope to be able to share more soon. ”

The response team will try to reduce the tension on the existing team cables by installing steel reinforcements as they want to do as soon as possible. The team also hopes to speed up the procurement of two new support cables currently in order. These plans can be formulated in the next few days as the situation becomes more assessable.

Progress in Arecibo Slow down Since the August incident, officials have been struggling to find the cause of the auxiliary cable failure. The failed socket was sent to NASA for a forensic analysis. Arecibo officials had previously asked the National Science Foundation for funding for the temporary repairs, but did not anticipate the cost of the repairs. Built in the 1960s, the observatory has a long history Financial uncertainty, In addition to suffering damage Hurricanes And Earthquakes.

We arrived at Arecibo to learn more about the recent damage and other details, and this post will be updated if we hear back.

All of this is very sad, because Arecibo is doing some very valuable scientific work. In addition to contributing to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), this resource is used for radio astronomy, atmospheric and planetary science. Importantly, the Observatory searches for dangerous objects near the Earth.