3 ms·

Are there any plans to build a new, better telescope in the same location? Can we get that happening?

sbierwagen 6y ago
Puerto Rico is pretty vulnerable to hurricanes, which are only going to get worse going forward. And if they do eventually win a referendum on independence, then the facility would suddenly be on foreign soil.
- CameronNemo 6y ago
  US territories can really just leave like that?
  - technothrasher 6y ago
    Considering independence has never received more than 5% of the vote in any referendum held there, I don't think that's a question that will be answered one way or the other by Puerto Rico any time soon.
    - adolfojp 6y ago
      Independence by subterfuge has a very high chance of succeeding in Puerto Rico. The status quo party was taken over by independence politicians (soberanistas) and they're restructuring the party as a Compact of Free Association party. The Compact of Free Association is an agreement that the US made with former US territories that gained their independence like Palau and the Marshall Islands. Several US based politicians strongly support that change so they're also pushing for it. But why is it subterfuge? The official name of Puerto Rico is Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico in Spanish and Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in English. The English name is not a translation of the Spanish name. A correct translation would be Free Associated State of Puerto Rico. Coincidentally the independent countries under the Compact of Free Association are called Free Associated States. The soberanistas are calling the new status definition Libre Asociación. Their goal is to convince people that Libre Asociación is not a form of independence but an enhanced Estado Libre Asociado. The independence political party has stated that they would also support this new status definition. If the soberanistas succeed in getting the Estado Libre Asociado voters to vote for Libre Asociación in a binding referendum they'll make Puerto Rico an independent country.
  - jcranmer 6y ago
    The Philippines, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau are all former territories of the US that are now independent countries. Although note that independence has historically been the least popular option on Puerto Rican status referendums.

Puerto Rico is pretty vulnerable to hurricanes, which are only going to get worse going forward. And if they do eventually win a referendum on independence, then the facility would suddenly be on foreign soil.

CameronNemo 6y ago
US territories can really just leave like that?
- technothrasher 6y ago
  Considering independence has never received more than 5% of the vote in any referendum held there, I don't think that's a question that will be answered one way or the other by Puerto Rico any time soon.
  - adolfojp 6y ago
    Independence by subterfuge has a very high chance of succeeding in Puerto Rico. The status quo party was taken over by independence politicians (soberanistas) and they're restructuring the party as a Compact of Free Association party. The Compact of Free Association is an agreement that the US made with former US territories that gained their independence like Palau and the Marshall Islands. Several US based politicians strongly support that change so they're also pushing for it. But why is it subterfuge? The official name of Puerto Rico is Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico in Spanish and Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in English. The English name is not a translation of the Spanish name. A correct translation would be Free Associated State of Puerto Rico. Coincidentally the independent countries under the Compact of Free Association are called Free Associated States. The soberanistas are calling the new status definition Libre Asociación. Their goal is to convince people that Libre Asociación is not a form of independence but an enhanced Estado Libre Asociado. The independence political party has stated that they would also support this new status definition. If the soberanistas succeed in getting the Estado Libre Asociado voters to vote for Libre Asociación in a binding referendum they'll make Puerto Rico an independent country.
- jcranmer 6y ago
  The Philippines, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau are all former territories of the US that are now independent countries. Although note that independence has historically been the least popular option on Puerto Rican status referendums.