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Projects: Space Advocacy

Call to Action: Arecibo Radio Telescope

Click to enlarge > Credit: Image courtesy of the NAIC - Arecibo Observatory, an NSF Facility

March 17, 2007

Today’s op-ed in the New York Times by astronaut Rusty Schweickart about potential Earth-impacting objects was a thoughtful call to action.

In the column, Rusty notes that the first step is discovering, tracking, and characterizing the near-Earth environment. The only facility on Earth capable of precise radar tracking of near-Earth objects -- the Arecibo radio telescope is slated to be closed by the National Science Foundation in an attempt to free up funding for new projects that do not yet exist.

Radar tracking is the only means of precisely knowing the probability of impact, and Arecibo is the only place that can do it. It is ridiculous to shut it down when it can be operated for just a few million dollars per year.

You can help stop this closure. Please contact your congressional representatives to tell them to keep Arecibo open.