The ATA will be a general-purpose radio telescope that will provide fundamentally new measurements and insights into the density of the very early universe, the formation of stars, the magnetic fields in the interstellar medium, and a host of other applications of deep interest to astronomers. At the same time, this 21 st Century radio telescope will also have the capability to search for possible signals from technologically advanced civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy.
“I am very excited to be supporting one of the world’s most visionary efforts to seek basic answers to some of the fundamental question about our universe and what other civilizations may exist elsewhere,” said Paul G. Allen, primary funder of the ATA. “I am a big proponent of leveraging revolutionary technology and design and applying it to important problems in science.”
The SETI Institute has some cool projects and great people working there – especially given that it survived for quite some time with no government funding! Pascal Lee was with them, and Greg Klerkx was a senior manager there. Jill Tarter, one of their directors, spoke at last year’s National Space Society ISDC meeting, about the ATA and other projects they have going on.
Good stuff, even if they never find any ET’s…