Summary
The Breakthrough Initiatives are a suite of space science programmes investigating the fundamental questions of life in the universe
The project began on November 9, 2021 along with four junior research fellows going through training to analyse deep space radio signals for signs of life
The Amity Centre of Excellence in Astrobiology, Amity University Mumbai, has partnered up with the Berkeley SETI Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, USA to lead the first-ever dedicated large-scale search for advanced life in the universe from India. This is funded by the Breakthrough Listen Initiative.
The Breakthrough Initiatives are a suite of space science programs investigating the fundamental questions of life in the Universe; questions such as: Are we alone? Are there habitable worlds in our galactic neighborhood? Can we make the great leap to the stars? And can we think and act together as one world in the cosmos?
The MARS project aims to develop novel tools utilising state-of-the-art technology made in field programmable gate arrays for the purpose of capturing high-speed data from existing and upcoming radio telescopes.
The Amity Centre of Excellence in Astrobiology focuses on the critical need to have an integrated centre in India that focuses on all pursuits towards studying the origin of life and its evolution, distribution on Earth and in the Universe. The Centre, in partnership with national and international labs, currently leads astrobiology-focused field studies and simulation with a focus on understanding the habitability potential of regions on Mars.
The MARS student project has been selected by AXIOM space, an American privately funded space infrastructure developer for its Science Technology Art and Research in Space (STARS) scholarship. The scholarship is worth USD 1,000.
Vishal Gajjar from University of California Berkeley and Siddharth Pandey from Amity University are pioneering a program plan to utilise the advances made in graphics processing units and artificial intelligence to help search for signs of activities of advanced extraterrestrial life.
This collaboration aims to hire several junior research fellows who have expertise in these areas, working alongside the rest of the engineering team hosted at the Amity Centre of Excellence in Astrobiology (ACoeA).
According to Vishal Gajjar from University of California Berkeley, the research group is leading humanity's most ambitious, sensitive, and comprehensive survey for the activities of technologically advanced extraterrestrial life.
The project began on November 9, 2021 along with four junior research fellows going through training to analyze deep space radio signals for signs of life. The four junior researchers were selected after a competitive screening of 96 applicants.
Last updated on 13 Nov 2021
