Statement of Purpose

ASAP seeks to advertise and promote the remarkable accomplishments of Arecibo Observatory in astronomy, aeronomy and planetary radar, and to assist the Observatory's potential for excellence in scientific research into the foreseeable future. ASAP will always remain aware of the Observatory's debt to it island staff and its iconic status especially in Puerto Rico, where it has long been a visible part of the island's pride and identity.

To fulfill its aims, the ASAP Board has set the following overall goals:

- To promote and maximize the potential of Arecibo Observatory for ground-breaking science, through existing facilities and potential future developments

- To foster unique educational opportunities on the island of Puerto Rico, within the Caribbean region, and in the wider world, suggesting paths that will facilitate this into the foreseeable future

- To encourage continued collegiality between the three basic scientific disciplines that have shared this unique facility for well over half a century

- To support the Island radio-science professional and the younger people who have been inspired by the Observatory and its work

- To showcase the broad impact and far-reaching implications of the science carried out with the late-lamented William E. Gordon 305-m Radio Telescope

- To provide a forum for the Arecibo research community and to enhance communication within it

- To mobilize the existing broad base of support for Arecibo science within (a) the fields it serves directly, (b) the broader scientific community, (c) the wider student body within and outside Puerto Rico, and (d) the general public of Puerto Rico, the USA and the wider world.