Due to uncertainty over the remaining strength of the other cables supporting the suspended structure, and the risk of collapse owing to further failures making repairs dangerous, the NSF announced on November 19, 2020, that the telescope would be decommissioned and dismantled, with the radio telescope and LIDAR facility remaining operational. Two cable breaks, one in August 2020 and a second in November 2020, threatened the structural integrity of the support structure for the suspended platform and damaged the dish. The telescope was damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017 and was affected by earthquakes in 20. Since 2006, the NSF has reduced its funding commitment to the observatory, leading academics to push for additional funding support to continue its programs. The center was named an IEEE Milestone in 2001. It has been listed on the US National Register of Historic Places since 2008.
It is one of the 116 pictures included in the Voyager Golden Record. The telescope's unique and futuristic design led to several appearances in film, gaming and television productions, such as for the climactic fight scene in the James Bond film GoldenEye (1995). In 2018, a consortium led by the University of Central Florida assumed operation of the facility. The observatory, funded primarily by the National Science Foundation (NSF) with partial support from NASA, was managed by Cornell University from its completion in 1963 until 2011, after which it was transferred to a partnership led by SRI International. NASA also used the telescope for near-Earth object detection programs.
Scientists wanting to use the observatory submitted proposals that were evaluated by independent scientific referees. The Arecibo Telescope was primarily used for research in radio astronomy, atmospheric science, and radar astronomy, as well as for programs that search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
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