The collapsed Radio Telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. A massive radio telescope made famous as the backdrop for a pivotal scene in James Bond film "GoldenEye" and other Hollywood hits was found suddenly out … Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Scientists have used it to find planets outside our solar system and to search for alien life. Between them, suspended on cables, there used to be a 900-ton instrument platform, but no more. Filmmakers have used it as scenery for movies like "Contact" and "GoldenEye." But Ruperto, who's a student at the University of Puerto Rico, helped organize a campaign to save it. It quickly became an all-purpose radio observatory - and found the first evidence for an object known as a neutron star. The Arecibo … It's a very deep, terrible feeling.". NELL GREENFIELDBOYCE, BYLINE: The Arecibo radio telescope has a huge collecting dish, a thousand feet wide. He says this telescope was something Puerto Rico could be proud of. The National Science Foundation has released footage of the final moments. The massive Arecibo Observatory radio telescope, made famous in the James Bond movie GoldenEye and paid homage to in the classic Nintendo 64 game, completely collapsed early Tuesday morning. WILBERT RUPERTO: And I'm here in one of these houses overlooking the observatory. The world's second largest single-dish radio telescope was made famous not only for its aid in many scientific discoveries, but also its appearances in the James Bond film and video game GoldenEye, as well as a handful of science fiction films. 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. Copyright © 2020 NPR. "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”. I knew exactly what it was. He expects there will be widespread support for rebuilding. “As the 900-ton instrument platform fell, the telescope's support cables also dropped. For more than half a century, the enormous Arecibo telescope searched the skies from its spot in a lush forest of Puerto Rico. Pierce Brosnan's 007 scales the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico while fighting villain Alec Trevelyn, played by Sean Bean, in one of the film's closing scenes. GREENFIELDBOYCE: Kevin Ortiz Ceballos lives in Puerto Rico, where he grew up. NELL GREENFIELDBOYCE, BYLINE: The Arecibo radio telescope has a huge collecting dish, a thousand feet wide. It also was a central player in a 1997 science-fiction movie called Contact. No injuries were reported after the crash and an investigation has been launched to find out what happened. And that's certainly a big loss for the island. It figured in the James Bond action film, GoldenEye. And as … Senior Research associate Jonathan Friedman, who lived near the telescope and worked there for 26 years, heard the monumental crash on Tuesday, December 1 at 07.55 local time. Ada Monzon is a popular TV meteorologist. 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 renowned Arecibo Observatory telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed on Tuesday, ... An action scene from the James Bond film "GoldenEye" took place above the telescope, and in the film "Contact" an astronomer played by Jodie Foster used the observatory in her quest for alien signals. The enormous Arecibo telescope made scientific discoveries and has been featured in movies. Two camera angles are shown, one where you see the fall and one by a drone […] The telescope has been a vital instrument for radio astronomers for 57 years. The Arecibo Observatory radio telescope, which you might recognize from the GoldenEye James Bond movie, collapsed Tuesday morning due to a mechanical failure. Video released on Thursday by the National Science Foundation shows the moment a huge radio telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed. Lots of school kids visit. The Arecibo Observatory Telescope Has Collapsed: Seen in the 1995 film 'GoldenEye.' He's an astronomer who's used the telescope. As NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce reports, its sudden end is an emotional blow for many Puerto Ricans. The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, once the largest radio telescope in the world made famous by appearances in films including ''Goldeneye,'' ''Species,'' and ''Contact,'' will have to be demolished because failures in cables have left its instrument platform suspended above the reflecting dish too unstable to repair. Copy. 900 tons of it fell into the dish below. Senior Research associate Jonathan Friedman, who lived near the telescope and worked there for 26 years, heard the monumental crash on Tuesday, December 1 at 07.55 local time. GREENFIELDBOYCE: He could see its three tall support towers standing above the trees. Giant Arecibo telescope from GoldenEye movie to shut down The dish has two holes in it following snapped cables earlier this year that have been ruled too unsafe to fix The NSF said in a statement: "Initial findings indicate that the top section of all three of the... telescope's support towers broke off. Arecibo Observatory telescope collapses 00:37. The Arecibo Observatory radio telescope, which you might recognize from the GoldenEye James Bond movie, collapsed Tuesday morning due to a mechanical failure. The telescope … The end of an era came unexpectedly this week when the iconic Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed Dec. 1 exactly one month after its 57th birthday. Invisible to our eyes, that radio light has wide wavelengths. PUERTO RICO (ABC4 News) – The iconic Arecibo radio telescope featured in the James Bond Film ‘Goldeneye’ has collapsed. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. It's explored near-Earth asteroids and studied pulsars. The Arecibo Observatory radio telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed this week after several months of mechanical trouble. Last month, it was warned the telescope was “at risk of catastrophic collapse” and that repairs could pose a deadly risk to construction workers. When I reached Wilbert Ruperto (ph) on his cellphone, he was in the neighborhood next to the telescope. She looked to be in tears. GREENFIELDBOYCE: News of its demise spread quickly. The telescope was already scheduled to be demolished because, here’s the kicker, of fears it would collapse. RUPERTO: We knew that it could happen. The enormous Arecibo telescope made scientific discoveries and … After decades of aiding astronomical discoveries, the 305-meter telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico will be decommissioned after sustaining damage caused by two falling cables. An action scene from James Bond film GoldenEye was filming at the site Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory could still have a future after its vast telescope … "Preliminary assessments indicate the observatory's learning centre sustained significant damage from falling cables.”. The telescope has also been used to listen for intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos and to track near-Earth asteroids. A historic telescope collapsed in Puerto Rico. The Arecibo Observatory, a massive telescope that served as the location for the end of 1995 GoldenEye film and one of the last levels of GoldenEye 007 for … Curse of Arecibo strikes again: Now another cable breaks, smashes into America's largest radio telescope *Hums the GoldenEye theme* Katyanna Quach Tue 10 Nov 2020 // 00:47 UTC. And the telescope’s fame comes from more than just science. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. The monumental crash came just weeks after officials decided to dismantle the telescope over safety fears. 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. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. I don't have words to express it. GREENFIELDBOYCE: "Friends," she said. 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. A huge radio telescope in Puerto Rico that has long played a key role in astronomical discoveries collapsed on Tuesday, officials said. KEVIN ORTIZ CEBALLOS: I think people were just not ready when the first cable snapped to even consider that it might not be there anymore because of how much of a fixture it was. The famous telescope was built in the 1960s with the aim of studying the ionised upper part of the Earth’s atmosphere. Share. RUPERTO: And be amazed by. The famous observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, featured in the James Bond movie "GoldenEye," has been forced to temporarily close after a broken cable smashed through the side of … It’s also a famous movie star. THE famous Arecibo space telescope which featured in the James Bond movie GoldenEye has collapsed in Puerto Rico after mounting safety concerns. The … The telescope’s wide dish collected radio waves. Watch: huge Arecibo telescope from GoldenEye movie collapses in Puerto Rico Scientists left stunned after relying on what was until recently the largest radio telescope in the world Scientists have used it to find planets outside our solar system and to search for alien life. It feels like a monument. And now we no longer have it. And we knew that it was a matter of days. Trump may issue a wave of pardons TODAY with Julian Assange among possible names, Omar blames Trump's ‘dangerous criminal neglect’ for dad's Covid death, Jill Biden jabs back at critics of doctorate & says she ‘worked hard', Rush to agree 2nd round of stimulus checks before TODAY'S shutdown deadline, Serial sex predator, 31, disguised himself in wig & woman's dress to attack teen, © 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, 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. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. 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. Filmmakers have used it as scenery for movies like "Contact" and "GoldenEye." But the telescope may be best known for featuring in the 1995 GoldenEye film - when Pierce Brosnan made his debut as the special agent. "I have to inform you with my heart in my hand that the Arecibo Observatory collapsed." He says since the 1960s, it's been an important part of the island's culture, its only advanced facility for science. This morning, it came crashing 450 feet down, smashing onto the massive dish. He said:  "It sounded like a rumble. That's why the National Science Foundation, which owns the telescope, announced it would be decommissioned. "I was screaming. Accuracy and availability may vary. The Arecibo Observatory, also known as the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC), is an observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico owned by the US National Science Foundation (NSF).. Star Of 'Contact' And 'GoldenEye,' Arecibo Telescope Collapses In Puerto Rico A historic telescope collapsed in Puerto Rico. The facility consists of a giant telescope bowl in the Arecibo forest, with an 816-tonne reflector dish suspended 137 metres above it by a series of cables. GREENFIELDBOYCE: The telescope's aging structural cables had been snapping in recent months. 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. Arecibo space telescope where James Bond film GoldenEye and Jodie Foster movie Contact filmed to close down over collapse fears Its collapse is an emotional blow for many Puerto Ricans. Two cables which held the weighty viewing platform had broken since August, forcing officials to close the site. GREENFIELDBOYCE: He says seeing it broken is tragic, disastrous. 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". The huge, already damaged Arecibo Observatory, famed for its key role in scientific discoveries as well as appearances in Hollywood films like GoldenEye… All rights reserved. The Arecibo Observatory, a massive telescope in Puerto Rico that has been used in many astronomical discoveries, has unfortunately collapsed. An historic telescope has collapsed. 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