Recent progress on the lunar farside crater saha proposal

The aim of this review, whose title might as well be "Toward a dedicated lu nar farside radio observatory", is to provide information for potential int erested workers whom we invite to contribute to this multidisciplinary effo rt. First point: in view of the dramatic increase of radio interference due to the development of satellite-based human telecommunications, it will soon b ecome impossible to conduct valuable high-sensitivity SETI observations fro m the terrestrial ground. It is why a few years ago I started an interdisci plinary and international endeavor to protect for the next 20/30 years a we ll specified lunar farside crater (Saha) which no Earth- or geostationary o rbit-based radio emission could reach. After raising technical, programmatic, legal, astronautical, industrial, po litical, ethical issues at a number of conferences of international learned institutions, this enterprise is now of interest for the wider field of ne xt generation high-sensitivity radioastronomy at large, from decametric to submillimetric waves. This last year, positive results were the creation of an IAA Sub-committee for "A Lunar SETI Study", the presentation of a Resolution to the IAU for t he protection of a potential lunar radio observatory site, discussions at t he IAA/IISL Scientific-Legal Roundtable on SETI & Society at IAF Congress i n Torino, the organization of a half-day Scientific Event at next COSPAR As sembly in Nagoya and the initiation of an IAA Cosmic Study on the subject. We shall conclude by outlining the next efforts to be initiated up to a rea l Moon radio observatory. (C) 2000 International Astronautical Federation. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.