The U.S. National Science Foundation has opted not to rebuild the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
The telescope, which features a 1,000-foot-wide dish and a 900-ton platform, had been used to track meteors up until fairly recently.
But, according to the Associated Press, a cable snapped in August 2020 and tore a long hole in the dish.
After another cable broke, the facility was officially closed in November 2020.
Besides serving as an observatory, the Arecibo facility also appeared in films like “Goldeneye” and “Contact.”
Instead of rebuilding, the NSF will build a new multidisciplinary educational center on the site to serve as a “hub for STEM education and outreach.”
The new center is expected to open in 2023.
