Funding runs out for telescope project designed to seek alien life

Scientific American : The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) lost ground last month when funding for the Allen Telescope Array ran out. Built by the SETI Institute and operated by the University of California, Berkeley, the ATA is a field of radio dishes in rural northern California designed to seek out transmissions from alien civilizations. Tom Pierson, CEO of the SETI Institute, announced to donors on 22 April that the ATA has been put into “hibernation,” meaning that “starting this week, the equipment is unavailable for normal observations and is being maintained in a safe state by a significantly reduced staff.” The nonprofit SETI Institute, founded in 1984, relies on private donations to support its research. Pierson said that the institute has been investigating other sources of revenue, such as working out a deal with the US Air Force whereby the ATA could assist in tracking orbital debris that can endanger defense satellites.