An examination of the cables by a flying drone showed wire breaks on another of the main cables causing both the Army Corps of Engineers and a private engineering company to decide the telescope would be set for decommission for fear that the entire structure will collapse. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. The observatory was the backdrop to a dramatic fight scene in the 1995 James Bond movie GoldenEye with Pierce Brosnan. MOVIES — Another striking fact is that the Arecibo Observatory has been the scene of two Hollywood movies. It was a key scientific resource for radio astronomers for 57 years, and was also made famous as the backdrop for a scene in the James Bond film GoldenEye and other Hollywood movies. James Bond Movie GoldenEye's Giant Telescope Is Being Shut Down The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is being decommissioned after two accidents this year. But the telescope may be best known for featuring in the 1995 GoldenEye film - when Pierce Brosnan made his debut as the special agent. The Arecibo telescope become well-known for its use in films including the 1995 James Bond movie GoldenEye and the 1997 sci-fi film Contact, with Matthew McConaughey. View our online Press Pack. The Arecibo Observatory telescope was one of the largest in the world. The Arecibo Observatory, made famous as the backdrop for a pivotal scene in the James Bond film “GoldenEye” and other Hollywood hits, had been shuttered since August after an auxiliary cable snapped and caused a 100-foot gash on the reflector dish. There have been several upgrades over the years and along with the aluminum tiles, a Gregorian reflector system was installed in 1997 and a mesh metal screen was also installed around the perimeter to block the ground’s thermal radiation. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The round reflector dish is one thousand feet in diameter making it the largest telescope in the world. The decommission of Arecibo is a sad blow to the scientific community and discussions about the decision will undoubtedly last for years. This aerial view shows the damage at the Arecibo Observatory after one of the main cables holding the receiver broke in Arecibo… The telescope has been a vital instrument for radio astronomers for 57 years. I don't have words to express it. Engineers decided the damage was fixable and began to plan restoration of the telescope. What better way to encapsulate what I feel for Arecibo than this picture. Giant telescope scaled by James Bond … Arecibo Observatory: Drone footage reveals devastation of collapse ... A witness at the scene described the terrifying moment the observatory collapsed. THE famous Arecibo space telescope which featured in the James Bond movie GoldenEye has collapsed in Puerto Rico after mounting safety concerns. Join 1000s of subscribers and receive the best Vintage News in your mailbox for FREE, Irish Neolithic Tomb is the Oldest Monument in THE World, Police arrest a 72-year-old “suburban grandfather” suspected of being the Golden State Killer, “I’m not dead yet”: some Buddhist monks followed self-mummification, Project Azorian: Howard Hughes’ secret mission, 1960s U.S. satellite that started transmitting again in 2013, The “Walk of Shame” in Game of Thrones historical inspiration, The only unsolved skyjacking case in U.S. history might have a break, Kurt Gödel became too paranoid to eat and died of starvation, “Little Ease”: One of the most feared torture devices in the Tower of London, The humble English girl who became Cora Pearl, Walt Disney softened the original Snow White story. As each cable fails support moves to existing cables that are not able to handle the additional weight. The surface of the dish is covered with thirty eight thousand aluminum panels which replaced the original half-inch galvanized wire mesh and it was built into a natural sinkhole where it fit perfectly. The telescope has also been used to listen for intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos and to track near-Earth asteroids. Arecibo was the first observatory to detect that the rotation of Mercury was fifty nine days rather than the agreed upon eighty eight days and provided the evidence of the existence of neutron stars. No injuries were reported after the crash and an investigation has been launched to find out what happened. The Arecibo Observatory telescope was one of the largest in the world. Two cables which held the weighty viewing platform had broken since August, forcing officials to close the site. The celebrated Arecibo Observatory telescope in Puerto Rico, which once starred in a James Bond film, collapsed Tuesday when its 900-ton receiver platform plunged 450 … "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Arecibo Observatory: James Bond - See 1,016 traveler reviews, 739 candid photos, and great deals for Arecibo, Puerto Rico, at Tripadvisor. It also appeared in the 1997 Jodie Foster movie Contact . The 57-year-old telescope at Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory also featured in the James Bond film GoldenEye, when Pierce Brosnan's 007 famously … The Arecibo Observatory, made famous as the backdrop for a pivotal scene in the James Bond film "GoldenEye" and other Hollywood hits, had been shuttered since August after an auxiliary cable snapped and caused a 100-foot gash on the reflector dish. Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory collapsed on Tuesday after sustaining severe damage in August. Its 900-tonne instrument platform, suspended by cables 137 metres above a 305-metre-wide reflector dish, fell .Getty Images. In 1974 physicist Russell Alan Hulse along with his academic advisor, Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr. discovered the first binary pulsars at Arecibo earning them the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics. One of the world's largest radio telescopes, which featured in the James Bond film GoldenEye, has collapsed. The 1,000-foot diameter space telescope that featured in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye is to be shut down after 57 years of service. ... and was also made famous as the backdrop for a scene in the James Bond … The Arecibo Observatory, made famous as the backdrop for a pivotal scene in the James Bond film "GoldenEye" and other Hollywood hits, had been shuttered since August after … In the meantime, a second cable broke which gave the engineers reason to believe the other cables were not strong enough. Several engineering companies are working on the problem of how to dismantle the telescope in a controlled fashion reducing risk to the rest of the observatory and the workers charged with the removal. Last month, it was warned the telescope was “at risk of catastrophic collapse” and that repairs could pose a deadly risk to construction workers. It quickly became an all-purpose radio observatory - and found the first evidence for an object known as a neutron star. ... Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory telescope … He said:  "It sounded like a rumble. The Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, has been giving scientists a look into the cosmos since 1963. ... and was also made famous as the backdrop for a scene in the James Bond … Sciencemag.org tells us Ralph Gaume, director of NSF’s astronomy division has said that they want to continue to use other instruments that are located at the site as well as the visitor and outreach centers but if the telescope collapses, they will be lost. Telescopul Arecibo a devenit faimos după ce a devenit fundalul în care fost filmate câteva scene cheie din ”GoldenEye”, o peliculă din seria cinematografică “James Bond”, lansată în 1995, cu Pierce Brosnan în rolul principal. The NSF said there had been no reports of injuries following the collapse.” It was a key scientific resource for radio astronomers for 57 years, and was also made famous as the backdrop for a scene in the James Bond film GoldenEye and other Hollywood films. The men dangled from the dish's satellite before Trevelyan fell 400 feet into the dish itself and miraculously survived — until a suspended receiver fell on him and exploded. Plenty to see, fascinating. The Arecibo Observatory telescope was one of the largest in the world. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. One of the largest telescopes in the world, the observatory's 900-ton instrument platform fell 450ft onto the reflector dish below on December 1, creating a devastating hole in the structure. The Arecibo Observatory telescope was one of the largest in the world. The US National Science Foundation said it was “saddened” by the collapse and would look for ways to help “the scientific community and maintain our strong relationship with the people of Puerto Rico". Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory could still have a future after its vast telescope dramatically collapsed this week, US officials said Thursday. The famous observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, featured in the James Bond movie "GoldenEye," has been forced to temporarily close after a broken cable … For other inquiries, Contact Us. It is all about safety.”. The Arecibo Observatory telescope was used as a massive prop in 1995's GoldenEye film, where Pierce Brosnan's James Bond confronted former MI6 agent Alec Trevelyan, portrayed by Sean Bean, in the final scene. Massive Arecibo radio telescope featured in James Bond movie collapses Two of the cables that held the platform over the radio dish had snapped this year On … ... and was also made famous as the backdrop for a scene in the James Bond … “As the 900-ton instrument platform fell, the telescope's support cables also dropped. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, The telescope was closed last month with fears it was at risk of collapse, The Arecibo telescope (pictured before it was damaged) is one of the largest in the world, The Arecibo telescope was used in the 1995 James Bond GoldenEye film, The famous telescope collapsed on Tuesday, December 1 after mounting safety concerns, Pierce Brosnan scaled the structure in his 1995 debut performance as James Bond, The 900-ton viewing platform came crashing down onto the 1000ft wide disk, Researcher Jonathan Freidman said he had a "very deep, terrible feeling" after he heard the crash, The telescope has been a vital instrument for scientists for 57 years, In investigation into the collapse is ongoing, Final action sequence from GoldenEye where James Bond fights Trevelyan on the Arecibo space telescope in Puerto Rico, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The last improvement was a new 2400 MHz transmitter. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. It's a very deep, terrible feeling.". This photo provided by Aeromed shows the collapsed Radio Telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. The Arecibo telescope become well-known for its use in films including the 1995 James Bond movie GoldenEye and the 1997 sci-fi film Contact, with Matthew McConaughey. The Arecibo Observatory telescope was one of the largest in the world. Arecibo, Puerto Rico - The celebrated Arecibo Observatory telescope in Puerto Rico, which once starred in a James Bond film, collapsed Tuesday … The NSF said in a statement: "Initial findings indicate that the top section of all three of the... telescope's support towers broke off. A huge radio telescope in Puerto Rico that has long played a key role in astronomical discoveries collapsed on Tuesday, officials said. ... James Bond (This was the location for the final scene of Goldeneye) or both then this is a must-visit place. Another Article From Us: Irish Neolithic Tomb is the Oldest Monument in THE World. According to ucf.edu, U.S. National Science Foundation President Alexander N. Cartwright remarked, “Our team has worked tirelessly with the NSF looking for ways to stabilize the telescope with minimal risk. "Preliminary assessments indicate the observatory's learning centre sustained significant damage from falling cables.”. I knew exactly what it was. The Arecibo Observatory telescope was one of the largest in the world. Arecibo Observatory: James bond and I were here - See 1,016 traveler reviews, 739 candid photos, and great deals for Arecibo, Puerto Rico, at Tripadvisor. (Photo by Ricardo ARDUENGO / AFP) (Photo by RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images), While this outcome is not what we had been working towards, and we are disheartened to see such an important scientific resource decommissioned, safety is our top priority…Despite this disappointing setback, we remain committed to the scientific mission in Arecibo and to the local community.”. When it fell the cable put a large gash in the reflector dish and other cables connected to the support tower were also damaged. James Bond’s “Golden Eye” in 1995, and “Contact,” starring Jodie Foster in 1997, in which she plays a scientist who discovers alien life from Arecibo. James Bond - Goldeneye (M scene) Pierce Brosnan's 007 scales the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico while fighting villain Alec Trevelyn, played by … The NSF added: "Top priorities are maintaining safety at the site, conducting a complete damage assessment as quickly as possible, and taking action to contain and mitigate any environmental damage caused by the structure or its materials. This aerial view shows the damage at the Arecibo Observatory after one of the main cables holding the receiver broke in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, on December 1, 2020. The already damaged radio telescope that has played a key role in astronomical discoveries for more than half a century completely collapsed, falling onto the northern portion of the vast reflector dish more than 400 feet below. The observatory gained fame after pivotal scenes in the 1995 James Bond film "GoldenEye. 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The Arecibo Observatory was constructed from 1960 to 1963 and was designed by Cornell University Physicist William Edwin Gordon. The famous observatory was featured in several Hollywood movies including a prominent place in 1997’s Contact starring Jodi Foster; Golden Eye, a 1995 film in the James Bond franchise; Species in 1995 and in an episode of The X-Files. This aerial view shows the damage at the Arecibo Observatory after one of the main cables holding the receiver broke in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, on December 1, 2020. "I was screaming. – The radio telescope in Puerto Rico, which once starred in a James Bond film, collapsed Tuesday when its 900-ton receiver platform fell 450 feet (140 meters) and smashed onto the radio dish below. Over two hundred researchers per year have used the massive telescope and its powerful planetary radar transmitter but the last few years of hurricanes and earthquakes have put a stop to that as the observatory has been so damaged it has become a safety hazard and is beyond repair. The monumental crash came just weeks after officials decided to dismantle the telescope over safety fears. According to Gaume, “This decision has nothing to do with the scientific merits of Arecibo Observatory. "While the telescope was a key part of the facility, the observatory has other scientific and educational infrastructure that NSF will work with stakeholders to bring back online”. It was one of the major scientific resource for radio astronomers for more than five decades.It was made even more famous as the milieu for a scene in the famed James Bond GoldenEye film. It also gained fame after pivotal scenes in the 1995 James Bond film “GoldenEye” starring Pierce Brosnan were shot there. 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