A Latvian astronomer and his wife drove 190 miles to a secret Soviet ghost town in 1994; found a 600-ton telescope the Russians had poured acid on – adapted the Cold War machine built to spy on the We

Synopsis After the retreat of Russian forces from Latvia, a concealed Soviet-era radio telescope came to light. Astronomer Juris Zhagars dedicated his efforts to repairing the damaged equipment for research purposes. Alongside his wife, he revitalized a forsaken structure within the old military zone. Now, this telescope supports international scientific initiatives, focusing on terrestrial measurements and astronomical exploration, thriving as a modernized radio astronomy hub. When the Soviet Union had disintegrated, and Russian troops were finally leaving Latvia in 1994, much of the country’s hidden military infrastructure was suddenly exposed. Secret maps surfaced. Abandoned bases were opened. And in the…