[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 27 (Thursday, February 10, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY THE 305-METER RADIO TELESCOPE AT
THE ARECIBO OBSERVATORY
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from
further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 467.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 467) recognizing the contributions
made by the 305-meter radio telescope at the Arecibo
Observatory.
There being no objection, the committee was discharged and the Senate
proceeded to consider the resolution.
Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent that the Blumenthal amendment at
the desk to the resolution be agreed to; that the resolution, as
amended, be agreed to; that the Blumenthal amendment at the desk to the
preamble be agreed to; that the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and
that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the
table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 4924) was agreed to as follows:
(Purpose: To amend the resolution)
On page 4, line 6, insert ``in consultation with'' before
``the National Aeronautics''.
The resolution (S. Res. 467), as amended, was agreed to.
The amendment (No. 4925) to the preamble was agreed to as follows:
(Purpose: To amend the preamble)
In the preamble, in the sixth whereas clause, strike ``an
essential'' and insert ``a''.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
(The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows:)
S. Res. 467
Whereas the Department of Defense began developing the
Arecibo Observatory located in Barrio Esperanza, Arecibo,
Puerto Rico, during the 1950s, and its characteristic
instrument, a large radio telescope of 305 meters in diameter
was completed in 1963;
Whereas the facility was later owned by the National
Science Foundation, and supported by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration and various university partners;
Whereas the Arecibo Observatory's 305-meter fixed spherical
radio telescope, was the world's largest single-dish radio
telescope until the Five-Hundred-Meter Aperture Spherical
Radio Telescope located in Gizhou, China, began observing in
2016;
Whereas the 305-meter radio telescope made unparalleled
contributions to the fields of radio astronomy, planetary,
and atmospheric sciences, and played a role in inspiring
thousands of students in Puerto Rico, the Nation, and the
world to pursue careers in STEM fields through the Arecibo
Observatory Education and Public Outreach Programs;
Whereas the radio telescope significantly advanced the
field of radio astronomy, including the first indirect
detection of gravitational waves, the first detection of
extrasolar planets, innumerable contributions to the field of
time domain astronomy and the study of the interstellar
medium, and played a key role in the search for
extraterrestrial intelligence;
Whereas the Arecibo Observatory had the best planetary
radar system in the world, used by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration for near-Earth object detection and
was a part of the agency's planetary defense program;
Whereas the planetary radar at the Arecibo Observatory has
contributed fundamentally and significantly to the knowledge
of the solar system;
Whereas the Arecibo Observatory's Incoherent Scatter Radar
and supporting facilities have provided fundamental
understanding of the ionosphere and upper atmosphere, and the
interface between the atmosphere and space that protects the
planet from solar wind, meteors, and other potential threats;
and
Whereas December 1, 2021, marks the 1-year anniversary of
the uncontrolled collapse sustained by the radio telescope
after a series of cable failures in tower 4: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) acknowledges the loss of the Arecibo Observatory's
radio telescope due to its collapse and its implications for
the loss of a unique world-class multidisciplinary science
facility which conducted research in the areas of space and
atmospheric sciences, radar astronomy and planetary sciences,
astronomy, and astrophysics;
(2) acknowledges that the uncontrolled collapse of the 305-
meter radio telescope represents a remarkable loss of
astronomical observation capabilities, scientific research
and development, planetary defense capabilities, and applied
science advantage for the United States;
(3) recognizes the rich scientific, educational, and
economic benefits that the Arecibo Telescope has made to the
people of Puerto Rico, the Nation, and the world;
(4) recognizes the work and contributions made by the
thousands of dedicated staff who have supported the Arecibo
Observatory for close to 6 decades;
(5) commends the National Science Foundation for convening
a virtual workshop in June 2021, to explore ideas for future
scientific and educational activities at the Arecibo
Observatory; and
(6) encourages the National Science Foundation, in
consultation with the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, and other agencies to study means of
replacing the scientific capabilities that were lost at the
Arecibo Observatory, utilizing new state-of-the-art
technologies at the site.
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