The Allen Telescope Array is a series of 42 radio telescopes (there are plans to build a total of 350) that is named after the person who provided the start up money for it's development (Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder).

The Associate Press wrote: "In a letter Friday to donors, SETI Institute Chief Executive Tom Pierson said the array last week was put into "hibernation," safe but nonfunctioning, because of inadequate government support."

A fund raising effort is underway, but no estimates have been given about how long it will take to raise the $5 million needed to restart the array.

The Allen Array is a joint project between the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, and is located 290 miles north of San Francisco, CA.