NEWS RELEASE
NSF Public Affairs
Arecibo Observatory’s 305-meter telescope suffers collapseDecember 1, 2020
The instrument platform of the 305-meter telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico fell at approximately 7:55 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time Dec. 1, resulting in damage to the dish and surrounding facilities.
No injuries were reported as a result of the collapse. The U.S. National Science Foundation ordered the area around the telescope to be cleared of unauthorized personnel since the failure of a cable Nov. 6. Local authorities will keep the area cordoned off as engineers work to assess the stability of the observatory’s other structures.
Top priorities are maintaining safety at the site, conducting a complete damage assessment as quickly as possible, and taking action to contain and mitigate any environmental damage caused by the structure or its materials. While the telescope was a key part of the facility, the observatory has other scientific and educational infrastructure that NSF will work with stakeholders to bring back online.
“We are saddened by this situation but thankful that no one was hurt,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “When engineers advised NSF that the structure was unstable and presented a danger to work teams and Arecibo staff, we took their warnings seriously and continued to emphasize the importance of safety for everyone involved. Our focus is now on assessing the damage, finding ways to restore operations at other parts of the observatory, and working to continue supporting the scientific community, and the people of Puerto Rico.”
The investigation into the platform’s fall is ongoing. Initial findings indicate that the top section of all three of the 305-meter telescope’s support towers broke off. As the 900-ton instrument platform fell, the telescope’s support cables also dropped.
Preliminary assessments indicate the observatory’s learning center sustained significant damage from falling cables.
Engineers arrived on-site today. Working with the University of Central Florida, which manages the observatory, NSF expects to have environmental assessment workers on-site as early as tomorrow. Workers at the observatory will take appropriate safety precautions as a full assessment of the site’s safety is underway.
NSF intends to continue to authorize UCF to pay Arecibo staff and take actions to continue research work at the observatory, such as repairing the 12-meter telescope used for radio astronomy research and the roof of the LIDAR facility, a valuable geospace research tool. These repairs were funded through supplemental congressional appropriations aimed at addressing damage from Hurricane Maria.
Once safety on site is established, other work at the observatory will be carried out as conditions permit.
NSF will continue to release details as they are confirmed. Additional information, including engineers’ assessments of the structure, can be found in
NSF’s Nov. 19 news release.
Background
Although the platform’s fall was unplanned, NSF, UCF and other stakeholders, including engineering firms contracted by UCF, had been monitoring developments at the 305-meter telescope that indicated an increased risk of a collapse.
In August, one of the 305-meter telescope’s cables unexpectedly detached. The remaining cables were expected to bear the load without issue as engineers worked on plans to address the damage. However, a second cable broke Nov. 6. Engineers subsequently found the second snapped at about 60% of what should have been its minimum breaking strength, indicating that other cables may be weaker than expected, and advised that the structure could not be safely repaired.
Both cables were attached to the same support tower. If the tower lost another cable, the engineer of record noted, an unexpected collapse would be the likely result. Since NSF’s Nov. 19
announcement that it would plan for decommissioning of the 305-meter telescope, surveillance drones found additional exterior wire breaks on two cables attached to the same tower. One showed between 11-14 broken exterior wires as of Nov. 30 while another showed about eight. Each cable is made up of approximately 160 wires.
NSF selects Kendra Sharp to lead the Office of International Science and Engineering
12/02/2020
NSF selects Kendra Sharp to lead the Office of International Science and EngineeringDecember 2, 2020
Sharp has been a faculty member in mechanical engineering at Oregon State University since 2010 and held the Richard and Gretchen Evans Professorship of Humanitarian Engineering from 2015 to 2020. Her research and teaching interests include design for international development, applications of technology in humanitarian engineering, and sustainable water and energy systems. Sharp founded and directs the school's humanitarian engineering program. She also serves as the university’s Senior Advisor for Global Affairs, providing leadership for the development and implementation of strategic initiatives in internationalization and global engagement at OSU, and as Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development.
"Dr. Sharp’s commitment to strong global partnerships to address grand challenges and the belief that international collaboration is important to solve humanitarian issues fit perfectly with the mission of the Office of International Science and Engineering," NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said. "Her commitment to applying science and engineering expertise to create a better future for all will strengthen NSF's role as a national and international leader in fundamental research."
OISE collaborates internationally to advance the U.S. economy; enhance the nation's security; give the U.S. the competitive edge to remain a global leader; and advance knowledge and global understanding. In addition, the office provides expert analysis and policy recommendations by leveraging a diverse network of relationships with interagency and international partners.
In her role as OISE head, Sharp will focus on increasing access for U.S. principal investigators to engage in global research that addresses pressing challenges; building greater capacity for U.S.-based students and faculty to access training and other opportunities in science diplomacy; developing and supporting robust collaborations between international universities or university consortia; and collaborating with other federal agencies.
"I have long been driven to address challenges such as access to clean water or clean energy, climate change, food security and more through my own international research, education and engagement efforts," Sharp said. "Leading an internationally focused organization at NSF offers an opportunity to continue my service on a truly national and international scale."
Sharp has extensive international research and teaching experience, including as a visiting researcher at the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands; a Visiting Erskine Fellow at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand; and as part of the organizing and instructional teams at multi-week international development design summits in India, Pakistan and Thailand. Sharp also led OSU's participation in the United States Agency for International Development-funded Partner Center of Advanced Studies in Energy with Arizona State University and two universities in Pakistan.
