After a tense and occasionally contentious review, the U.S. National Science Foundation has agreed not to close the Arecibo Observatory, which hosts the world’s second-largest radio telescope. Instead, the science agency will keep the Puerto Rican facility open—but will seek funding partnerships with other organizations.

“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 says in their announcement. That decision comes with a big sigh of relief, says observatory director Francisco Córdova, even though it’s not yet clear who will manage the observatory and where the additional funding will come from.

“That adds a level of complexity and stress going forward,” he