SOFIA: Astronomy from the Stratosphere

NASA and the German Aerospace Center, DLR, put a telescope on a plane to study the solar system and beyond from 38,000-45,000 ft. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, is a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 100-inch diameter telescope. It is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center, DLR. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley manages the SOFIA program, science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Associa