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So, one thing that isn't clear to me. They were already planning to decommission the structure, so was this a planned collapse, or did this happen literally rig
by Rooster61 6y ago
So, one thing that isn't clear to me. They were already planning to decommission the structure, so was this a planned collapse, or did this happen literally right after their announcement by coincidence?
If its the latter, I'm very glad they made the call to not try to fix this thing. It would have been so much more tragic had someone been up on the sub-reflector/instrument assembly. Good call by the powers that be to keep it clear.
- Macha 6y agoMy understanding is the fact that this was possible (even likely) was why they decided not to attempt repairs. Basically, the second cable should not have snapped if it was still at design strength, so its failure put the strength of the others (and hence the entire structure) in doubt.
- Rooster61 6y agoI might not have been clear in my comment. I understand why they didn't go up and repair it. I just wasn't sure if if they decided to go ahead and demo it or if it fell under its own weight just a week or so after they decided to not try to fix it. That much isn't clear from the articles I have been able to find through a quick google.
- Macha 6y agoEvery article I've found indicates it was an unintentional collapse, but they're mostly sourced to the unidentified "officials and locals" from the AP report, which may just be the original tweet and replies. EDIT: NSF confirms it was an unplanned collapse that happened overnight: https://twitter.com/NSF/status/1333772980539691008 https://twitter.com/NSF/status/1333772980539691008
- dredmorbius 6y agoUnplanned. "Unscheduled rapid disassembly", as it's sometimes phrased. Though widely anticipated.