However, what worries some astronomers the most is the state of the sensitive receiving equipment at the telescope's focus, housed in what's called the Gregorian dome, which is suspended above the dish. Photos posted by Perillat appear to show tears in several of its panels.
"If it was just the dish [below] that was damaged, you could still receive — it's just going to be less sensitive because you have less area," says Yvette Cendes, a radio astronomer at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Astronomy contributor. "If something in [the dome] got damage, then that is a very different question," she says. "And obviously now it's a question of safely checking all the other cables."
“If the dome has significant damage or can't move properly, that could cause much more difficult repairs,” adds Ransom. “It is all quite worrisome.”
Observatory officials are still assessing whether it’s safe for a team to get to the dome for closer inspection, but they aren’t overly concerned about the its overall state. “We don’t expect to find damage inside the Gregorian dome,” Cordova said on Friday. “Certainly, there is damage to the exterior aluminum panels, [but] that was not done to the actual room inside the Gregorian that has all of the critical equipment.”
Arecibo’s lingering funding concerns
Lugo is confident that Arecibo will bounce back. “We have the complete support of both NSF, [which] is responsible for the Observatory, and our NASA stakeholders to make the needed repairs to return to full operational capability," Lugo told Astronomy in an email, citing verbal conversations and emails.
But exactly how those repairs will be funded remains unclear. "NSF supports Arecibo and the researchers who work there," said Robert Margetta, a spokesperson for the agency. "We will work with them to assess the next steps forward and address the situation. We cannot comment on potential funding at this time."
In a statement to Astronomy, NASA said that after UCF assesses the damage to Arecibo, NSF would "consult with stakeholders, including NASA, to determine how to proceed."
Arecibo has faced a series of existential crises ever since a 2006 NSF review recommended drastic cuts to its funding, or even close the facility in favor of other high-priority astronomy projects. Though scientists and enthusiasts rallied to save Arecibo from this threat, in 2013, NSF began considering selling the facility. Eventually, in 2017, NSF decided to continue funding it, but at a much reduced level — slashing its $8.2-million contribution to Arecibo’s annual $12-million operating budget to just $2 million. This served as a lifeline to allow the facility to seek other sources of revenue.
One such revenue source came in the form of a four-year, $19-million grant from NASA in September 2019. The grant provided funding to continue monitoring potentially hazardous near-Earth objects. That same month, NSF also gave Arecibo $12.3 million to make improvements to the facility, including finishing the repairs from Hurricane Maria. Some astronomers have taken comfort in these recent investments as a hopeful sign that the U.S government is not prepared to walk away from Arecibo anytime soon.
Lugo acknowledges the challenges that the observatory has faced in recent years. But he says the Arecibo team and the local community have both shown resilience and continue to make progress. "This is just another opportunity to show the world that this team can weather the storm."