One of the most famous radio telescopes on the planet is now under new management — led by a UCF team.

The University of Central Florida will soon lead a consortium to take over management of the large Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, a well-known facility that has made some significant scientific contributions.

  • UCF consortium to take over Arecibo Observatory
  • 5 year deal costs $20.15 million
  • Scientists will continue to be able to use the observatory

UCF's consortium includes the Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan and Yang Enterprises, Inc. in Oviedo, in an agreement worth $20.15 million over five years, according to UCF.

Under the agreement, scientists from around the world will be able to still pursue several scientific fields, including planetary radar research, atmospheric science and radio astronomy. The observatory will also continue to track objects near the Earth that could be dangerous.

The goal is also to "create a pipeline for students to study space sciences both in Puerto Rico and Central Florida," according to UCF.

Among Arecibo's significant contributions to scientific study, the observatory was used to help further prove Einstein's theory of general relativity, confirming the first evidence for the existence of gravitational waves. It has helped expand our knowledge of the cosmos and of physics theory.

It's also a striking famous landmark, used in movies such as "GoldenEye" and "Contact."

The observatory was built in the 1960s in an area created by a sinkhole. The National Science Foundation and NASA has handled funding for Arecibo since the 1970s, but it faced closure from federal budget cuts last year. 

It also suffered damage after Hurricane Maria, but the telescope is still operational. It also has electricity as of December, according to UCF.

The NSF will continue to contribute to the operation of the observatory, albeit at a small amount over time, according to the NSF's statement.

The consortium is scheduled to begin management of Arecibo Observatory on April 1. It is looking at partnerships, donations and tourism programs to help keep the facility going.