The aircraft operated between 38,000-45,000ft, putting its onboard telescope above 99% of the Earth’s infrared-blocking atmosphere providing astronomers the opportunity to study the universe in ways not possible on the ground.
The observatory’s mobility gave additional flexibility allowing observations to be conducted from almost anywhere on the planet and studies of transient events which were best seen over oceans where there are no telescopes.
Naseem Rangwala, the mission’s project scientist at the administration’s Ames Research Center in California, said: “From deepening our understanding of water on the Moon to revealing the invisible forces of cosmic-scale magnetic fields, none of it could have happened without the hundreds of people who contributed their expertise to the SOFIA mission.”
The project started in 1996 with the Boeing 747SP modified to carry the 38,000lb, 100in telescope supplied by DLR, the German Space Agency, which was NASA’s partner on the SOFIA mission.
NASA engineers developed a large door mechanism on the rear port side of the Jumbo that could be rolled up to give the telescope a view of the night sky. Despite this large opening, pilots were unable to feel if the door was open and NASA stated, “th…
