The Arecibo
Observatory invites the community with interest in the following topics to contribute or support our
Planetary Science Decadal Survey white papers:
- Physical characterization of NEOs using ground-based radar
- Radar tomography of small bodies
- Radar observations in support of planetary missions
- The importance of planetary radar infrastructure for planetary defense
- Passive microwave measurements
- Next decade of planetary radar infrastructure
Email Dr. Anne Virkki with your topic interest(s)
to be added to the list of co-authors and co-signers for these in-prep White Papers.
Staff from AO would like to collaborate with and support authors of any other white papers being
submitted that involve:
Characterization of the surface of NEOs or Terrestrial Planets
Future Planetary Exploration Mission Support (e.g. planned or proposed missions to Mercury, Venus, Mars,
the Moon, asteroids etc.)
Human Exploration & Operations
If you are leading such a white paper and would like support from the Arecibo Observatory, please
contact Dr. Noemí Pinilla Alonso.
The Arecibo Observatory’s
priority is the health and
safety of the staff and our
users. In response to COVID-19
and in order to comply with
restrictions implemented by the
Government of Puerto Rico via
executive order OS-2020-23, the
Arecibo observatory will be
implementing the following
workplace changes:
All AO science and science
support staff will be working
remotely beginning on March 16,
2020. We encourage the use of
email if need to contact an AO
staff member.
No visitors will be allowed on
the facility until further
notice. If you planned on
visiting the facility in the
upcoming weeks, please contact
us in order to discuss the
details of your travel
arrangement. 
As you know Puerto Rico has been
impacted with a series of
significant earthquakes
throughout the first weeks of
2020. All AO staff members are
safe and our technical teams
have completed preliminary
visual analysis of the primary
structure and have found no
immediate damage.
Arecibo’s 430 MHz transmitter
system was shut down in late
2019 following a series of
long-standing issues that were
exacerbated by water damage to
the system during Hurricane
Maria in 2017 and culminated in
the loss of two klystrons due to
transmitter malfunctions in
2019. The AO staff are currently
working with [Diversified
Technologies Inc.] (DTI) to
install a new transmitter system
that will include a solid-state
modulator and a capacitor bank
from the [Sondrestrom Upper
Atmospheric Research Facility].
The expected upgrades will
produce a system with higher
reliability, facilitate future
maintenance, and provide better
protection for the klystrons, in
addition to many other
improvements. We will continue
to share updates on the status
of the new transmitter system.
