Hey there, it's Maddie Sophia. A few months ago, we did a story about a giant telescope in

Adesibo, Puerto Rico, a telescope that has driven decades of scientific discovery.

But back in August, it was damaged when a cable fell, and then a different cable snapped,

leading to even more damage. The people who owned the telescope, the National Science Foundation,

announced that they planned to shut it down due to serious safety concerns.

But supporters of the scope say that this damage was due to years of neglect, and they've

already sent a petition to the White House asking for the federal government to find a way to stabilize

the structure. For many, the Adesibo telescope is more than just a scientific instrument. It's

a point of pride for the people of Puerto Rico and a beacon of scientific collaboration.

And so today, we're returning to that earlier episode from August. You're listening to shortwave

from NPR. The first word, Ed Rivera Valentín, ever spoke was Luna, Moon in Spanish.

Ed grew up on the northern coast of Puerto Rico near the Adesibo telescope.

The reason I am in astronomy and planetary science is because of that telescope. My parents

took me out there when I think I was three. I remember looking over and just being completely

and utterly stunned. And getting to know that that type of science and that an instrument so valuable

for the entire world was literally in my backyard was something that just told me, okay,

this is what I have to do. I have to be part of this community. I have to get to do this really

cool science. Ed does really cool science. They even ended up working at the telescope itself

for several years. I've heard people say that when they go up to it, it's almost a religious

experience. You approach the telescope. The telescope is huge. The dish is a thousand feet in

diameter and covers just about 20 acres. Suspended above is a 900 ton platform that holds a bunch

of scientific instruments. It was constructed in the 1960s and now Ed says that the telescope has

...