Puerto Rico's outgoing Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced has endorsed rebuilding the collapsed Arecibo radio telescope, signing an ordinance on December 28 to allocate $8 million. Yet, experts note that a final decision could take years and cost hundreds of millions more.
The iconic Arecibo Observatory, whose dramatic collapse made global headlines in early December, may rise again—at least that's the vision of Governor Vázquez Garced. Just before her term ended on January 1, she enacted an ordinance to support reconstruction. The proposed new telescope would boast a larger effective aperture and wider field of view than its aging predecessor.
This funding, drawn from prior budget surpluses, would enable site cleanup and initial reconstruction efforts. The Governor also highlighted anticipated support from the U.S. government and private sector partners, though specific organizations were not named.
While $8 million marks a strong initial commitment from Puerto Rico, it pales against estimates of several hundred million dollars for a full rebuild, as shared informally post-collapse.
National Science Foundation (NSF) officials, who managed the Arecibo site, are prioritizing damage assessment and cleanup. On rebuilding, Ralph Gaume, director of NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences, emphasized: "NSF has a very well-defined process for funding and building large-scale infrastructure, including telescopes. This is a multi-year process that involves congressional appropriations and assessing the needs of the scientific community. It is therefore very early for us to comment on the replacement."
Congress did not allocate funds for Arecibo in the FY 2021 spending bill passed in December. However, the accompanying report directed NSF to evaluate options for comparable technology at the site and provide cost estimates if viable.
