Operator supports Arecibo Observatory after María
Arecibo Observatory
Universities Space Research Association, (USRA) one of the entities that manages Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, announced actions it has undertaken to support Observatory staff as they recover from Hurricane María.
USRA donated from its corporate resources 20, 2000w portable generators to USRA staff who were in the greatest need for electricity at their homes. These generators were shipped from Columbia, MD to Puerto Rico, the entity confirmed.
USRA also set up a “GoFundMe” site for donations to help all staff at the Observatory. USRA collected approximately $40,000 and a committee was set up to evaluate applications and distribute the funds.
It received 75 applications and all employees who were in need, irrespective of their employers, applied for these funds.
USRA President Jeff Isaacson, who was at Arecibo recently, said, “I am proud of the staff at Arecibo Observatory who did everything in their power to prepare for the hurricane and then work diligently to recover from the damage and get basic operations at the Observatory back on line.”
