SETI Allen Array The Victim Of Budget Cuts

The SETI Institute, which for years has operated an array of radio telescopes scanning the sky for signs of intelligent extra-terrestrial life, has been forced to shut the effort down due to a lack of funding.

In an e-mail to stakeholders, SETI Institute CEO Tom Pierson said that U.C. Berkley was being forced to curtail the operations at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, the home of the Allen Telescope Array, which is the primary tool in SETI's search for extra-terrestrial life. The university said growing budget shortfalls in the state of California as the reason have forced deep cuts in funding for the Hat Creek site. The portion of the budget for the program from the federal government was slashed by 90 percent, fording the Allen Array into a state of hibernation.

On its website, SETI says it is now seeking private donations to re-start the Allen Array. They say the timing is critical, as NASA has recently announced the discovery of Earth-sized planets which may fall in their star's habitable zones. The institute, which says it is still viable as a research organization, is calling on the public to donate the money it needs to bring the Allen Telescope Array back online so that they may continue the search for extra-terrestrial intelligent life. USA Today reports that the institute says in needs about $5 million to re-start the search.

FMI: www.seti.org