History

SETI Institute celebrates it’s 40th anniversary

First Tarter Award Presented

Jill Tarter receives inaugural Tarter Award for innovation in the search for life beyond Earth.

"A Sign in Space" simulates a message from ET to Earth

SETI AIR artist Daniela DePaulis and a global team simulate a message, engaging millions around the world in a public outreach effort to decode the message.

Franklin Antonio passes away, bequeathing $200M to the SETI Institute

Long time supporter and collaborator on the ATA, QualComm co-founder Franklin Antonio passes away, bequeathing $200M to the SETI Institute and transforming its capacity for science and education programming.

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) breaks ground to build an outrigger at the ATA

COSMIC at the Very Large Array

The SETI Institute teams up with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory to implement the Commensal Open-Source Multimode Interferometer Cluster Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (COSMIC) project at the Very Large Array (VLA). As the VLA conducts observations, COSMIC enables SETI Institute scientists to access that data to analyze for evidence of technosignatures.

ATA Refurbishment

SETI Institute refurbished the ATA’s dishes with 2nd generation Antonio feeds and new digital backend to make them more sensitive and reliable across additional radio frequencies.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launches

SETI Institute scientists continue to conduct observations and make discoveries based on data generated by JWST.

Gemini Planet Imager shows giant planets orbiting sun-like stars may be rare

Dr. Franck Marchis was a co-author on the research.

First light for LaserSETI

at the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Kenwood, CA.

TESS Launches

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Space Satellite (TESS) launches, with SETI Institute teams managing the data processing pipeline.

"Passage to Mars" is released

Passage to Mars is a documentary chronicling a 2,000-mile journey across the frozen Northwest Passage, led by Dr. Pascal Lee to prepare NASA astronauts for an eventual mission to Mars.

1st generation Antonio feeds installed at the ATA

William Borucki, Principal Investigator on NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, receives the Drake Award

NASA’s Curiosity Rover lands on Mars

Including an instrument developed by a team including the SETI Institute’s Dr. Philippe Sarrazin, an x-ray diffraction instrument called CheMin.

The SETI Artist-in Residence (AIR) program begins

See AIR Program

NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope launches

SETI Institute scientists play a key role throughout the mission and the K2 extended mission, including developing and managing the data processing pipeline. The Kepler mission ultimately discovered more than 5,000 exoplanets, transforming our understanding of the cosmos.

ATA construction complete and science operations begin

NASA’s New Horizons Mission launches to explore Pluto, its moons and the Kuiper Belt

Dr. Mark Showalter and others at the SETI Institute provided scientific expertise as well as guidance and navigation assistance on this mission.

NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), Spirit and Opportunity, landed on Mars

Dr. Nathalie Cabrol was a member of the MER science team.

SETI Institute releases its Voyages Through Time curriculum for high school students

View VTT curriculum

Dr. Baruch Blumberg joins the SETI Institute’s Board of Directors

SETI 2020

SETI Institute publishes a roadmap for future SETI endeavors, SETI 2020.

Dr. Charles Townes receives the Drake Award

SETI Institute’s radio program begins airing on public radio stations

The SETI Institute’s radio program (and now podcast), Big Picture Science (originally called Are We Alone?) begins airing on public radio stations. Big Picture Science is hosted by Dr. Seth Shostak and Molly Bentley.

Paul Allen’s Family Foundation helps fund construction of the ATA

Paul Allen’s Family Foundation makes a $12.5M donation to help fund the construction of the ATA. Ultimately Allen donates more than $30M to support the ATA.

The Drake Award

Dr. Frank Drake becomes the inaugural recipient of the SETI Institute’s Drake Award, recognizing exemplary contributions to SETI or astrobiology

Allen Telescope Array plans begin

From 1997-1999, SETI Institute hosts a series of workshops to plan what would become the Allen Telescope Array (ATA).

The Haughton Mars Project

Led by the SETI Institute’s Dr. Pascal Lee, opens its first field deployment as an international multidisciplinary field research project on Devon Island to advance Moon/Mars science and exploration.

"Contact" is released

The film Contact, based on a novel by Dr. Carl Sagan and featuring a protagonist based on Dr. Jill Tarter, is released

Dr. Carl Sagan joins the SETI Institute’s Board of Directors

AAA Begins

SETI Institute begins Astronomy Airborne Ambassadors (now known as Astronomy Activation Ambassadors), an immersive professional development program for high school science teachers including a curriculum in infrared astronomy and featuring flights on NASA’s now discontinued SOFIA observatory.

SETI Institute releases is Life in the Universe curriculum for grades 3-9

View Curriculum

Project Phoenix begins

The world’s most sensitive and comprehensive search for extraterrestrial intelligence until 2015.

Silicon Valley business leaders unite

Led by Barney Oliver, a group of influential Silicon Valley business leaders, including Bill Hewett, David Packard, Gordon Moore and Paul Allen pull together funding to help the SETI Institute continue its work.

Congress ends federal funding for SETI science

SETI Institute Founded by Dr. Jill Tarter and Tom Pierson

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SETI Institute’s Board of Directors Established

• Dr. Frank Drake was the 1st President of the SETI Institute’s Board of Directors.
• Andrew Fraknoi, who continues to serve on the SETI Institute’s Board, is one of its inaugural members.

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