A Tragedyedy for Science at Arasebo. We'll talk with the Observatory Director this week on planetary radio.

Welcome. I'm at Kaplan of the Planetary Society with more of the Human Adventure

across our solar system and beyond. You've probably heard the news. The great

radio telescope at Arceboe in Puerto Rico is no more.

The 900-ton instrument platform suspended by cables high above the giant dish fell to its ruin in the early morning on

December 1st. No one was injured but any hope of salvaging the

invaluable equipment has probably been lost.

It was just hours before that I had recorded a conversation with Francisco Cordova, director

of the observatory.

That was after two cables had already failed and after the National Science

Foundation which owns the facility decided it must be decommissioned. You'll hear that there

were still some hope when I spoke to Francisco, and hope is still alive.

You'll also hear about the spectacular legacy of this unique instrument that has revealed so much and has played a role in the research

conducted by so many astronomers and others.

Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye will open our special coverage with his own reflection on Eresibo.

First though, we must take a minute to congratulate China.

It's Chang'i-5 Lander successfully touched down on the moon just hours before the loss of Arisibo.

By the time you hear this, the spacecraft may already be collecting the two kilograms of sample

material it will return to Earth. It's a complex mission and some of the most difficult

steps remain, but so far so good. There's more space news in the most recent edition of our weekly newsletter, The Downlink.

You can even hear the soothing sounds of interplanetary space.

Okay, there's no sound in the void, but one of the microphones on the perseverance Mars Rover was activated en route

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