Damage sustained at the Arecibo Observatory 305-meter telescope. (Credit: UCF)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, December 28, 2020 — Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced today signed an Executive Order to establish as public policy the reconstruction of the Arecibo Observatory radio telescope so that it resurfaces as a world-class educational center.
“We all remember when on the morning of December 1, we heard the tragic news when the radio telescope platform fell. For 57 years, this world-renowned facility functioned as a research facility capable of scientific discovery and contributions to national security, scientific research, education, as well as a tourist attraction. The government of Puerto Rico is convinced that the collapse of the radio telescope brings an opportunity to redesign it, taking into consideration the lessons learned and the recommendations of the scientific community to make it relevant for decades. That it can be rebuilt and can once again be a world-class center for future generations, ”said the governor.