The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

(NAIC Arecibo Observatory, a facility of the NSF)

At a Glance

Built deep in Puerto Rico's jungle in the 1960s, the observatory has become a recognizableicon in popular culture.It served as a location for the James Bond film GoldenEye and the Jodie Foster film Contact.

The world's second-largest radio telescope, Puerto Rico's iconic Arecibo Observatory, has been saved from demolition despite damage incurred during Hurricane Maria.

The National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that enabling the agency to continue to fund the telescopemade famous for its place in thesearch for extraterrestrial aliens. The agency said it also plans to "collaborate with interested parties to maintain science-focused operations at the observatory ," according to a statement.

"This plan will allow important research to continue while accommodating the agency's budgetary constraints and its core mission to support cutting-edge science and education,"the NSF said in theannouncement.

The agency noted thatit remains "deeply concerned about the impacts from recent hurricanes on Arecibo Observatory staff, the facility and all citizens of Puerto Rico."

"The Record of Decision arrives at a challenging time, but is necessary for the agency to secure a future for the observatory," the agency added.

According to the Washington Post, the and has been responsible for about two-thirds of its $12 million budget. In recent years, it has been mulling over whether to close the facility or downgrade.

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The observatory, whichis important to the U.S. territory as a tourist draw and for area resident employment, was damaged by Hurricane Mariaand remains without power.James Ulvestad,acting assistant director for the NSF's mathematical and physical sciences directorate, told the Post the facility sustained between $4 million and $8 million in damage from the hurricane, which further reduced the likelihood that the observatory could remain open.

Instead, the agency decided to keep the facility open but reduce its funding from about $8.2 million to $2 million over the next five years.

Thenews that AO would remain open was met with joy from scientists the world over.

Built deep in Puerto Rico's jungle in the 1960s, the observatory has become a recognizableicon in popular culture, serving as a locationin both the James Bond filmGoldenEyeandthe Jodie Foster film Contact.

The observatory's scientific accomplishments are extensive. It was the first radio telescope to provideand the first to spot . More famously, perhaps, it sentas part ofthe Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, better known as SETI.