How can the Allen Telescope Array complement the Air Forces existing sensors?
A2. The ATA has numerous unique capabilities for astronomy and SETI research, and because it is the first instrument of its type, some of its capabilities may enhance Air Force daylight space surveillance capabilities. Q3. What would SETI Institute get from such a collaboration? A3. If the ATA proves to be a valued contributing sensor, it could provide a potential additional use of the array and, concurrently, an additional source of long term funds to assist in the operations and support cost of sustaining the array. Q4. What tasks have been done by the ATA for AFSPC? A4. The initial task completed was an assessment of the capability of the array to accurately track orbiting objects, specifically GPS satellites. The GPS satellite constellation was selected because the location of these satellites in space is well known. Therefore by utilizing this data, the accuracy of the array’s observations could be assessed. The ATA has observed GPS satellites to a relatively high accuracy, and th
