ATA

Jon Richards, The SETI Institute The ICE spacecraft (see below) has recently approached Earth close enough to be detectable at the Allen Telescope Array (ATA). We have successfully detected the ICE spacecraft carrier signal using the SonATA (SETI on the ATA) signal detection equipment and will share the details here. The technical community has been all abuzz about the return of the ICE spacecraft, formerly named the International Earth-Sun Explorer-3 (ISEE-3). It was launched in 1978 to study Earth's magnetosphere and its interaction with the solar wind. The ICE spacecraft has been far away and out of contact for a long time... read more ❯

This week I worked at the Allen Telescope Array (the ATA). The SETI Institute uses the ATA to search the heavens for any signs of life in the galaxy that may be transmitting radio signals. Today was a sunny morning and a cloudy afternoon. The temperature was a bit cool for this time of year. I took some pictures that may be of interest.   [caption id="attachment_17" align="aligncenter" width="630" caption="Mount Lassen Still has a lot of snow. This picture was taken while standing in the center of... read more ❯

My previous post on the hibernation of the Allen Array Telescope got a lot of attention and I have been contacted by various people to discuss its impact on the institute and on my research. First of all, I should remind my readers that the SETI Institute is a research institution composed of three departments: - The Center for education and public outreach which manages the E/PO of various NASA projects such as Kepler and SOFIA and also our Research Experience for Undergraduates program. - The Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe composed of ~60 scientists who... read more ❯

First of all, a disclaimer: I am not NOT involved in the Allen Array Telescope, neither I conduct astronomical programs using radio telescopes. I am writing this post about the Allen Array Telescope (ATA) since it is a joint project  effort by the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley and I am working for these institutions. This post describes the current situation for the ATA based on information collected after discussions with my colleagues at both institutions. The Allen Array Telescope (ATA) is a radio interferometer located at Hat Creek Observatory, 300 miles north of San Francisco,... read more ❯