By SETI’s Allen Telescope Array (ATA) resumed its quest of finding alien life for the first time since the hibernation that started in April due to financial problems. The timing couldn’t be better, considering the recent discoveries made by the Kepler telescope that revealed exoplanet candidates that could hold life within.
The Allen Telescope Array is once again operational thanks to funding received from the public as well as the United States Airforce as an assessment of the project related to Space Situational Awareness.
ATA consists of 42 large telescopes pointed at the stars, transmitting various radio frequencies in search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The research was stopped mainly because SETI is non-profit organization and the government is not funding such a project. In the past, ATA was funded by Paul Allen, Microsoft’s co-founder, with approximately $25 million.
With the fundraising being a success, ATA can once again search the stars, and for the first time, the project has a solid starting point: the planets discovered by NASA’s Kepler telescope. Therefore, various frequencies are to be tested in order to send radio signals to all the exoplanets found by Kepler mission. The primarily agenda for the next to years is to keep up with Kepler’s discoveries and to signal each and every potential planets that are likely to contain liquid water, the most important element of life.
Thanks to dedicated researchers and donors, ATA project can continue its search for extraterrestrial life, and considering the new opportunities, SETI is optimistic in the outcome of the project.