Irbene RT32 radio telescope, Radio telescope in Irbene, Latvia.
The Irbene RT32 is a large radio astronomy facility with a 32-meter parabolic dish mounted on a rotating structure roughly 25 meters tall. The main assembly weighs about 80 tons and can move its dish to point in different directions and collect signals from space.
Soviet forces built this facility in 1974 under the military codename Zvezdochka for surveillance operations. After Latvia regained independence in 1991, the installation shifted from military control to civilian space science research.
The facility transformed from Cold War military use into a center for international scientific collaboration and discovery. Today visitors can see how the spaces retain visible traces of their earlier purpose while serving entirely different goals.
The facility offers guided tours only during warmer months from April through November, and advance booking is required to visit. Tours include access to working laboratory areas and viewing of the on-site exhibition about the research.
The facility contains more than 20,000 components manufactured in a Ukrainian shipyard, which gives it an unusual industrial character. Even the interior spaces feature design elements that echo maritime vessel construction.
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