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Posted by: PhilCo126 Mar 20 2007, 04:03 PM

Does anyone have new info on the status of SOFIA ( Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy ) the successor of the great Starlifter C-141 KAO ( Kuiper Airborne Observatory ) which was retired in 1995.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/59/SOFIA_09.25.06.1247.jpg/800px-SOFIA_09.25.06.1247.jpg

Posted by: Analyst Mar 20 2007, 05:34 PM

AFAIK it is (back) in the NASA budget, at least for test flying. Science would come later (2008). Should have something to do with the large international (German) part. Nobody knows the next budget.

Analyst

Posted by: PhilCo126 Mar 20 2007, 06:26 PM

Thanks... the SOFIA website didn't have a news update for the last 6 months:
http://www.sofia.usra.edu/News/news_updates.html

Posted by: Analyst Mar 20 2007, 07:41 PM

Here is a http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=23659
Space Science, skroll about one third down.

Analyst

Posted by: PhilCo126 Mar 29 2007, 05:48 PM

Thanks, some nice images of SOFIA:
http://www.dsi.uni-stuttgart.de/downloads/gallery.html

Posted by: PhilCo126 Apr 20 2007, 04:44 PM

Anyone saw the movie yet?
http://www.scienceofspectroscopy.info/edit/index.php?title=Skysight

Posted by: PhilCo126 May 10 2007, 04:07 PM

SOFIA flies: http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/SOFIA/index.html

Posted by: stevesliva May 10 2007, 05:45 PM

I was thinking, man that's a stubby 747! I'd never heard of the 747SP ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747SP )

What a blimp!

Posted by: Analyst May 22 2007, 05:55 PM

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0705/21sofia

I still can't believe SOFIA will cost $3 billion over its whole lifetime. Seems like a lot of money, the same as Cassini over about the same timescale. But it is worth it, I am pretty sure. What does KECK cost over over 20 years including design and construction?

Analyst

Posted by: PhilCo126 Jun 6 2007, 07:28 PM

Well an airborne observatory will have a very high percentage of photometric nights while the Mauna Kea only has 55% of photometric nights (although 72% spectroscopic nights or ‘usable’ time nights).

Posted by: Del Palmer Jul 2 2008, 04:20 PM

SOFIA's primary mirror receives coating; ready for installation.

http://www.sofia.usra.edu/News/news_2008/06_20_08/index.html

Posted by: PhilCo126 Jul 2 2008, 04:28 PM

Now it's just waiting for "First Light"

For general information about SOFIA, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/sofia

For science information about SOFIA, visit: http://www.sofia.usra.edu

Posted by: Airbag Jul 2 2008, 04:41 PM

Wait - http://www.sofia.usra.edu/News/news_2008/06_20_08/images/AcidWash.jpg. I like this low-tech approach even on such a big, expensive mirror.

Airbag

Posted by: PhilCo126 Oct 16 2008, 08:11 AM

Latest news on the new mirror:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/int_update_9_22.html

Posted by: stevesliva Dec 28 2009, 05:18 PM

She flies with eyes open:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/multimedia/imagegallery/SOFIA/index.html

Photos from test flights -- doors opened for the first time on December 18th, 2009.

Posted by: stevesliva May 2 2010, 05:36 AM

Nice feature from the BBC with video inside and out and of the doors opening in flight:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8636012.stm

Also the SOFIA photo gallery in the previous post appears to contain updates from the same media day.

Posted by: Gerald Nov 19 2014, 05:24 PM

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13924.html.