The “Forgotten” Solar Observatory in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

The operational history of the observatory begins on May 3, 1967, when detachment number 7 of the 4th Meteorological Wing of the Air Force arrived at the Ramey base in Aguadilla. The mission of two officers and four pilots was to observe solar activity daily in support of air and space programs. By then, the solar observatory, a 10-inch optical telescope pointed at the Sun, had been built and was beginning to monitor the photosphere and develop sunspot maps. At Arecibo, the radio telescope, with the participation of the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory, had been in operation since November 1963.

What is the military utility of observing and investigating the Sun? As illustrative data, let us consider the solar storm that occurred in the above month and year. Radars in northern Alaska, Greenland, and the United Kingdom designed to detect Soviet nuclear missiles were suddenly disabled. An attack against them was considered an act of war and was interpreted as such by military commandos. However, due to analyzing data from solar observatories, including Ramey, scientists from the Air Force Solar Forecast Unit discovered that the radar malfunctioned due to a significant solar flare. They immediately reported it to the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Knowledge from solar observations, particularly solar radio bursts, and plasma eruptions, prevented what could have become a nuclear war. In turn, the storm solidified the importance of military operations on the effects of the space environment. In addition, it motivated the establishment of a more robust forecast system with new technologies.

Over the years, the Ramey Observatory monitored and recorded the behavior of various components of the solar atmosphere, including the intensity of solar storms. The data was sent daily to the NOAA Space Weather Operations Center and Air Force meteorologists. As we saw with the example of radars, solar flares can cause communication and direction control problems in satellites, spacecraft, aircraft, and ships, seriously impacting the planning and operations of military activities. Therefore, knowing when flares will occur helps lessen their impact.

The observatory was part of a network of six locations deployed by the Air Force; some were radio telescopes, and some were optical telescopes. Even though the base was deactivated in 1973, the observatory continued operations until May 1, 2003. Currently, the Air Force has several space sensors and three continuous surveillance ground observatories.

Finally, the observatories in Aguadilla and Arecibo shared several common elements, regardless of the scope and scale of the research conducted. They were built during the Cold War to bolster or increase military capabilities. Their initial purpose was to study the impact of space-borne components on military equipment. The technological development of these observatories did not originate in Puerto Rico, and they were ultimately replaced by alternative innovations owing to internal political decisions within the military.