--- title: "Giant Arecibo SETI Telescope Could Collapse After Mysterious Damage" description: "The massive alien hunting radio telescope at the Aericbo Observatory is at risk of collapse after several support cables failed leaving extensive damage." date: "2020-11-13" modified: "2020-11-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/arecibo-observatory-seti-collapse-damage" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "Arecibo" - "arecibo observatory" - "SETI" - "the digest" --- # Giant Arecibo SETI Telescope Could Collapse After Mysterious Damage ![The massive alien hunting radio telescope at the Aericbo Observatory is at risk of collapse after several support cables failed leaving extensive damage.]() *\Image: Bigeez\* ## Risk of Collapse The massive alien hunting radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is at risk of collapse after several support cables failed and left long gashes in the structure, [*National Geographic* reports](). One [auxiliary cable slipped]() from its socket in August, leaving a 100-foot gash in the reflective panels of the 1,000 foot wide radio telescope dish. While scientists [told *The New York Times*]() the event was "just another bump in the road" at the time, a second main support cable — which was connected to the same support tower as the auxiliary cable — [failed on November 8](), causing even more damage to the reflector dish. The cause of the crashes remain unclear. The Arecibo Observatory was built in the 1960s and has been in used for decades to search for extraterrestrial civilizations. Experts are worried cables could corrode further as they age. ## Context Collapse The radio telescope, among the world’s largest single-dish radio telescopes, is now in a sorry state — and at risk of total collapse. "For me, it’s probably fifty-fifty," former observatory director Michael Nolan from the University of Arizona told *National Geographic*. "They are doing what can be done. I’m still really worried that they can’t do enough." "I was not that worried when the first cable failed because I was confident that it would take a few months to fix," Abel Méndez, an astronomer who has made frequent use of the Arecibo, told the magazine. "Now I’m worried." Others are worried more cables could fail, triggering a chain reaction. "We’ll probably know fairly soon if they can come up with a Band-Aid, take some of the tension off, take away the immediate problem so we can solve the big problem," Nolan told *National Geographic*. **READ MORE:** [Iconic radio telescope in Puerto Rico is at risk of collapsing]() \[*National Geographic*\] **More on the observatory:** *[More Damage Reported at Alien-Hunting SETI Facility]()* ## 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]()