Strategic Timing and Geometry in SETI Targeting: Insights from Deep Space Network Uplink Logs

To the point

Olivia Curtis and Pinchen Fan argue that focusing SETI on edge‑on exoplanets and scheduling observations to align with planetary conjunctions or occultations can greatly boost the odds of detecting deep-space network transmissions, since past DSN uplinks show emissions mainly along the ecliptic and a Mars observer could have an 80% chance to intercept a transmission in at least one window.

Detecting Extraterrestrial Civilizations with an Earth-level Deep-space Network
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Detecting Extraterrestrial Civilizations with an Earth-level Deep-space Network

Pinchen Fan March 6, 2025 Zoom recording Abstract: A major aspect of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) involves searching for electromagnetic transmissions from extraterrestrial s…