National Radio Astronomy Observatory Archives: NRAO Timeline

At 9:43 p.m. EST on Tuesday the 15th of November 1988, the 300-Foot telescope in Green Bank collapsed. The collapse was due to the sudden failure of a key structural element--a large gusset plate in the box girder assembly that formed the main support for the antenna. This is a photograph of the 300-Foot telescope taken on November 16, 1988 after the collapse. The loss of the 300-Foot telescope resulted in the Green Bank Telescope Project. Photo by Richard Porcas.

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