---
title: "Dramatic Drone Video Shows Collapse of Alien-Hunting Observatory"
description: "Newly released footage, including several drone shots, shows the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico collapsing in on itself."
date: "2020-12-03"
modified: "2020-12-03"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/arecibo-observatory-collapse-video"
categories:
  - "Drones"
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "Arecibo"
  - "arecibo observatory"
  - "SETI"
  - "the digest"
---

# Dramatic Drone Video Shows Collapse of Alien-Hunting Observatory

![Newly released footage, including several drone shots, shows the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico collapsing in on itself.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/arecibo-observatory-collapse-video.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: NSF\</em\>*

## The Great Collapse

December 1 was a sad day for astronomers everywhere. The iconic 57-year-old Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico [met its final demise](<https://futurism.com/arecibo-seti-telescope-collapses-completely>) when the 900-ton platform suspended above the 1,000-foot-wide dish antenna came crashing down — an accident caused by failing cables that were already stretched to their limits by previous damage.

Now, [newly released footage](<https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/arecibo/>) shows the dramatic failure, [including close-up drone shots](<https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1334536726975574016>) of cables slowly unraveling, leading to the platform hurtling down in a cloud of debris.

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1334536362893189125

## Cable Failure

Two cable failures, [one in October](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/seti-telescope-down-months-mysterious-damage>) and [one in November](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/arecibo-seti-telescope-more-damage>), sealed the fate of the observatory, with engineers initially planning to [decommission and deconstruct](<https://futurism.com/arecibo-alien-hunting-observatory-is-being-demolished>) the aging structure.

The collapse, however, was not planned, despite efforts to introduce some slack into existing cables to keep one of the strained cable support towers upright.

"After the November 6th cable failure, the \[remaining\] cables could have failed at any time," Ralph Gaume, director of the National Science Foundation's Division of Astronomical Sciences told reporters at a briefing this morning, as [quoted by *Engadget*](<https://www.engadget.com/arecibo-observatory-collapse-video-details-nsf-172859619.html>). "We were unable to predict when it would happen, \[but\] we knew it would happen."

There is still a fleeting chance of rebuilding the structure, and the NSF has yet to rule out such a possibility. But it will be a hard sell, especially as it involves asking Congress for funding.

**READ MORE:** [NSF offers a closer look at how the Arecibo Observatory collapsed](<https://www.engadget.com/arecibo-observatory-collapse-video-details-nsf-172859619.html>) \[*Engadget*\]

**More on the collapse:** *[Arecibo SETI Telescope Collapses Completely](<https://futurism.com/arecibo-seti-telescope-collapses-completely>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)