Radio telescope FAST, which completed the installation of a huge reflector with a diameter of 500m in 2016, officially begins exploration of extraterrestrial life in September this year.
FAST started operation in January and in March published a paper based on data obtained through preliminary observations by Chinese SETI researchers. However, now, improvement work is underway to add a function to remove interference from the global environment.
China’s SETI chief scientist (Zhang Tongjie) observed some of the interesting narrowband signal candidates from outer space, but said that none of them were actually alien civilizations, but that the analysis will continue in the future. He added that SETI observations do not take precedence over scientific observations to find clues about the origin of the universe in characteristic signals such as radio waves or high-speed radio bursts from other pulsars imposed on FAST. He also replied that the possibility of discovering extraterrestrial life through huge observation facilities will be known within the next 20 years. Related information can be found here .