Cable failures endanger renowned Puerto Rico radio telescope The giant, aging cables that support one of the world's largest single-dish radio telescopes are slowly unraveling in Puerto RicoSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The giant, aging cables that support one of the world's largest single-dish radio telescopes are slowly unraveling in this U.S. territory, pushing an observatory renowned for its key role in astronomical discoveries to the brink of collapse. The telescope was built in the 1960s and financed by the Defense Department amid a push to develop anti-ballistic missile defenses. Repairs from Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, were still underway when the first cable snapped. The most recent damage was likely the result of the cable degrading over time and carrying extra weight after the auxiliary cable snapped, the university said. The telescope also was a training ground for graduate students and widely loved for its educational opportunities, said Carmen Pantoja, an astronomer and professor at the University of Puerto Rico, the island’s largest public university.

Source: ABC News November 15, 2020 16:06 UTC