https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB479/ https://www.naic.edu/history_gal/historicgal.html US Govt spent big money to build it to spy on Soviets and radar missiles, plus as observatory. Now spy is over, Obama cut $M's from its budget ending big maintenance. It's mired in red tape and Govt won't be creative, spend money, or take risks to fix a working machine. Privatized, the repair cost would be lower, and high wire workers around the world might love the job. Repairs might not be that hard... - Hang from helicopter and or cable positioned balloons for initial rig and tower work, and as safety lines from above in event of down collapse. Slap some safety rings and wrap around cables near working area to prevent trouble in case of snap and small strand whipback, bulk will mostly just fall down. - Decide shock stress of cutting snapped cables off rig vs weight of j-hooking another main cable into existing hanging left main coupler on rig. Given two cables snapped and rig didn't fall, bounce shock may be ok, if so cut off snapped main and aux. - Drop even more weight by cutting at least three of six vertical tension cables off the three arms. Possibly jettison broken linefeed. - If it survives those stresses, which shouldn't add much cost to a total demo and cleanup just to find out, it should be stable long enough to do all needed cable replacement. Might be possible to negotiate right to own option if private stabilizing investment works. - Figure out how to maneuver around, between, manipulate, and reterminate the four main cable termination points on the rig, the two middle ones are more difficult... remove nuts, j-hook, welding, etc. - Each tower saddle has one, maybe two, unused main slots out to the rig, a pulley or roller bearings could be installed in the slots for use with new draped cables back to new ground winches... more options exist. - One tower has the snapped main and aux points now available for reuse, but clamp is obstructing easy linear path of main. - Remove entire cable clamp, or weld outrigger arm on it to non obstruct, and cut sections of it off freeing the rig mains one by one as they are replaced. - Each side anchor has one or two unused smaller cable positions. - New groundworks as needed. - Build a lifting tower underneath, or full winch system, for future major refits. - Dish mesh. Main rig cables weigh 10 tons each... ballon, winch, chopper, or crawl it to rig. Or replace entire system if the site and concept is still desired... - Reuse of towers may require explosive cut of cables at the top at same instant to prevent lateral tower fracture.