SPACE — On November 15, 1988, the 91.44 meter radio telescope at Green Bank, West Virginia suddenly collapsed. The incident occurred at 21.46 local on a clear night, without strong winds.
When observatory staff came to work the next morning, they were greeted by a huge pile of rubble. Soon, panic hit them.
The telescope collapsed because it could no longer support its weight after a key structural element called the ‘gusset plate’ broke. It is one of four connecting plates that hold the telescope’s large metal beam together.
Investigators discovered the gusset plate was not prepared to survive the 26 years since the telescope was used. Three years later, construction of a new telescope began.
Green Bank’s new telescope is even bigger and more sensitive. They started operating it in the field of science in 2001. Source: Space.com
2023-11-15 14:26:00
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