The United States National Science Foundation announced, Thursday, that it will not rebuild the famous radio telescope in Puerto Rico, which It was one of the largest companies in the world until it collapsed nearly two years ago.
Instead, the agency (NSF) issued a request for Create a learning center $5 million on the site that will promote programs and partnerships related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is also seeking to implement a manpower research and development programme, and the center is set to open next year in the mountainous town of Arecibo in the north of the island, where the telescope was once located.
The request does not include operational support for existing site infrastructure that is still in use, including a 12-meter radio telescope or lidar installationwhich is used to study the upper atmosphere and ionosphere to analyze data on cloud cover and precipitation.
Scientists from around the world regretted the decision afterwards They have used the telescope at the Arecibo Observatory for years to search for asteroids, planets and extraterrestrial life. The 1,000-foot-wide (305-meter) antenna was also shown in the film. Contact Starring Jodie Foster in the James Bond movie Golden eye.
The reflective dish and 900-ton platform that is 130 meters (450 feet) high have enabled scientists to track Earth-bound asteroids, conduct Nobel Prize-winning research, and determine if the planet is habitable.
“We understand how much the site means to the community”said Shawn Jones, deputy director of the National Science Foundation’s Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. “If you’re a radio astronomer, you’ve probably spent some time in your career at Arecibo.”
By Danica Koto (The Associated Press)
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