Air Force paying SETI to listen to exoplanet Kepler 22B for alien signals

www.theregister.co.uk...


I dont think I have ever read anything from this site so if its like a Weekly World News type paper, my apologies.

Now that is some awesome news!

Not just random anymore, definitely increases the odds.

Originally posted by openminded2011
www.theregister.co.uk...
I dont think I have ever read anything from this site so if its like a Weekly World News type paper, my apologies.

It makes sense. If the Air Force can get some intelligence about other radio-capable civilizations, maybe it will be include some pictures of alien fighter aircraft that they can use to build some of their own. The military has so incredibly much money it would be worth them spending a few bucks to keep a finger on SETI's setup.

Hey just wanted to mention that this was covered recently on this forum here, though it's currently collecting dust on page four. It was argued there that the primary reason for this was really to monitor space debris or something, I don't know but wanted to inform you of an existing thread... take care.

have there been anything new from seti or any others?

i mean there were 3 star map images that were floating around about 3 "ships"
i was very into this news, then of course it disappeared without followup.

is there any follow up reading you guys can post for me?

was posted 2 weeks ago www.abovetopsecret.com...

The Air Force is not paying SETI to listen to Kepler 22B for alien signals.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by openminded2011

The Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has announced that it is back in business checking out the new habitable exoplanets recently discovered by NASA's Kepler space telescope to see if they might be home to alien civilisations. The cash needed to restart SETI's efforts has come in part from the US Air Force Space Command, who are interested in using the organisation's detection instruments for "space situational awareness.

The Register

Because the air force wouldn't lie, right?
2nd

Originally posted by AzureSky
Because the air force wouldn't lie, right?
2nd

Because a newspaper wouldn't absolutely mangle science news, right?

reply to post by AzureSky

What would be the point?
SETI's main function is searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. It's no secret.
SETI acquired the funds to restart operations on their own. The contract with the Air Force is a "bonus".

Originally posted by Phage
The Air Force is not paying SETI to listen to Kepler 22B for alien signals.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

I personally know someone who works for space command in CO and SSA.....they are not working with SETI. Seems the author of this article is grossly misrepsenting the truth....which does not surprise me.

www.afspc.af.mil...

5/19/2009 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- An important and high visibility mission of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) is Space Situational Awareness (SSA). Space Surveillance, a key component of SSA, involves using the Space Surveillance Network (SSN) of telescopes and radars to detect, track, identify and catalog all man-made objects orbiting the earth. Knowing where orbiting objects are located in space is key to ensuring safe space operations. The significance of the SSA mission has become even more acute with the recent collision of an Iridium Satellite and an inoperable Russian Cosmos Satellite, which destroyed both satellites and created two large fields of space debris. This debris will be a risk to other satellites for years to come as the debris fields expand and their orbits degrade toward Earth.

AFSPC is exploring opportunities in academia and the commercial sector that could provide suitable cost-effective means for augmenting Space Command's Space Surveillance mission. The Allen Telescope Array (ATA), located in Northern California is one such opportunity. The ATA which is operated by the SETI Institute and its partner, the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley is a radio interferometer dedicated to cutting-edge astronomical research. This array of antennas is optimized to receive and process a very wide portion of the radio spectrum and can observe many areas of the sky at once.

AFSPC, through the Space Innovation and Development Center (SIDC), is evaluating the possible use of the ATA to augment the SSN, potentially leveraging the array to help increase space situational awareness. Initial demonstrations show promise for the ATA to track transmitting communication satellites in Low Earth Orbit, Medium Earth Orbit and, most promising, in Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), which is home to the most costly, highly-utilized, and vital satellites that orbit the earth. If demonstrations are successful, the ATA may prove to be a viable all-weather, day and night contributor to the SSA mission.