SOFIA

SOFIA Science Steering Committee MeetingPalmdale, Feb 18, 2010

Dietmar Lilienthal / Alois Himmes

2DLR SSSC Palmdale, Feb 18, 2010

Programatic aspects in Germany

New government in Germany since autumn 2009 keeps Science and Technology a high priority

DLR budget for 2010 unchanged, expectation is continuity for the coming years

SOFIA budget stable for the medium term period 2009-2012, implemented in DLR long term planning beyond 2012

Rev. 2009 of JSPP II signed by NASA and DLR

3DLR SSSC Palmdale, Feb 18, 2010

Science Mission Operations Deputy director

The international search committee for the (DSI funded) SMO Deputy Director recommended a candidate to DLR, unanimously

DLR authorized DSI / Universität Stuttgart to start negotiations with the selected candidate

Decision expected soon

4DLR SSSC Palmdale, Feb 18, 2010

Major technical achievements since autumn 2009

Identification of Gyro failure and repair at IXSEA (in France) and provision of 4th (spare) gyro. Successful re-integration and tests during several LineOps

Additional Line Replacable Gyro Box / Gyros to be procured at IXSEA, delivery early 2010

Continued repairs and improvements of the Telescope Assembly (TA) and procurement of most needed spare parts

Another TA LineOps demonstrated TA readiness to start next phase of closed and open door flights with passive and activated TA

TA-activation but still closed door flight in Jan 2010 including simulated observing legs showed promising results. Details in separate presentation by Thomas Keilig at SITR

5DLR SSSC Palmdale, Feb 18, 2010

Issues and Concerns as seen by DLR (1)

The MPE in Garching announced to terminate their involvement in SOFIA

DSI with support from USRA/SMO and DLR is investigating how FIFI-LS can be finished, maintained and scientifically used as Facility Instrument, see separate presentations by Thomas Wegmann and Randolph Klein

DLR continues to support both German science teams to „bridge the gap“ until science results are demonstrated. The continous schedule delays required an extension of those grants by 2 years to Dec 2011. This is still valid also for FIFI-LS, depending on a successful FIFI-LS recovery plan

Both grants are funded from the same budget line as the DSI, thus reducing the money available for Telescope related activities

6DLR SSSC Palmdale, Feb 18, 2010

Issues and Concerns as seen by DLR (2)

The funding of the Science Teams by MPG had already been substantially reduced or even stopped (DFG) since 2005.

The MPE is one of the leading institutes for IR-Astronomy in Europe. Termination of the MPE-involvement in SOFIA, which will have been definitely noticed by German funding authorities, makes the situation even worse

Yesterday, ESA‘s Science Programme Committee decided to continue with the definition phase for the ESA part of the Japanese IR-Mission SPICA. ESA would provide the 3,5m cryogenic telescope, and European member states one major instrument SAFARI (imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer).

Putting all these indications together, the perspective for the development of next generation SOFIA instruments and thus the continuation of a German participation in SOFIA has not improved over the last years, month and weeks in Germany