Stargazing With SOFIA

7/25/2019 Stargazing With SOFIA

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Stargazingwith

Astronomy plays a vital part in developing our

understanding of the cosmos. Andy Martinvisited California to find out more about the research

performed in a very special Boeing 747.

S FIAS

everal nights a week, a

select group of scientists

gather around computer

screens, poring over imag-

es, analysing data. Their

aim is to learn more about planetary

systems, the formation of stars, the

development of galaxies, and the evo-

lution of the materials needed to sup-

port life. Some of these phenome-

na do not emit light or are obscured

by clouds of dust and gas, so can-

not be observed using convention-

al telescopes. However, they all give

off electromagnetic radiation but

water vapour in the lower atmosphere

blocks these wavelengths, dramati-

cally reducing the effectiveness of

observing the infrared spectrum from

the ground. So the research has to

take place in the frigid stratosphere,

high above the Earths surface.

Cosmic ResearchGerard Kuiper, considered by many

to be the father of modern planetary

science, and scientist Frederic F Forbes

pioneered airborne astronomy in 1966

when they used a Convair CV-990 as a

platform for intergalactic observation.

Working in the upper reaches of the

atmosphere, they proved that clouds

shrouding Venus were dry when it had

previously been believed they contained

38 AIRLINER WORLDFEBRUARY 2016

SOFIA on an aerodynam-ic test flight over theMojave desert. The cav-ity door is not usuallyopened in daylight asheat from the sun candamage the telescope.NASA/CARLA THOMAS

BOTTOM RIGHT Thenew SOFIA logo, intro-duced after the aircraft'srecent overhaul. NASA


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water vapour. Frank J Low, another

prominent physicist, developed the

practice with a 12in (30cm) diameter

telescope mounted in a modified

Learjet, and in 1972 the University of

California used a NASA Lockheed U-2

for similar purposes. That led to the

Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO),

a 36in (91cm) telescope mounted in a

Lockheed NC-141A Starlifter which took

to the air in 1974. KAO had reached

the limits of its capabilities by the mid-

1990s, but scientists believed a more

capable observatory collecting ten times

more light at a higher resolution could

help answer further questions about

cosmic development.

As far back as 1977, Boeing presented

a study to NASA suggesting that a large

airborne telescope could be mounted

in a 747. Three years later, staff working

with KAO wrote a paper entitled Three

Meter Telescope on a 747SP Platform,

and NASA first allocated funding to

the project in 1985. The concept was

refined over the next decade with

the telescope reduced to 8.2ft (2.5m)

diameter, and aerodynamic modelling

of the modifications to the aircraft

taking place alongside developing

cooperation with German scientists.

In 1996, NASA and DLR (DeutschesZentrum fr Luft- und Raumfahrt, the

German Aerospace Center) signed a

memorandum of understanding (MOU)

to build a new research tool named the

Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared

Astronomy (SOFIA). It would be used

to observe astronomical phenomena

including the birth and death of stars;

the formation of solar systems; planets,

comets and asteroids in Earths Solar

System; and nebulae, dust and black

holes in other galaxies. And as it could

be deployed globally, SOFIA would

enable viewing of events beyond the

coverage of fixed telescopes.

NASA was responsible for acquiring,

modifying and testing a suitable

airframe, and funded some onboard

www.airlinerworld.com 39

N747NA (c/n 21441)being readied for amission at its base inPalmdale, California.

ALL PHOTOS AUTHOR

UNLESS STATED


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equipment and computer systems.The agency also provided flight crewand pays 80% of the projects ongoing

budget. DLR provided the telescopemanufactured by MT Mechatronicsand Kayser-Threde, and designed

some of the other scientific equipment.Germany also contributes 20% ofSOFIAs operating costs in exchange for30 scientific flights a year.

The project cost $1.1 billion. Almost

11 years passed before the system tookto the air, and a further three elapsedbefore SOFIA was used to makeastronomical observations.

Special PerformanceThe 747SP (Special Performance)

is a derivative of the original JumboJet. Shortening the fuselage by 48.4ft(14.7m) and lightening the airframe by

44,100lbs (20,000kg) created an aircraft

that could carry 230 passengers in athree-class cabin up to 7,650 miles(12,320km). Just 45 were built, makingSPs the rarest of the breed, and they

are capable of flying higher, fasterand farther than other early 747s. PanAmerican World Airways bought ten in1973, but United Airlines acquired the

fleet and the Pacific routes over whichthey flew in 1986. The aircraft soldiered

on for a further eight years before 747-400s made them redundant and the SPswere parked in the Nevada desert.

Infrared telescopes perform best at

altitudes between 37,000 and 45,000ft above 99.8% of the water vapour

in Earths atmosphere making anSP an ideal platform for an airborneobservatory. One of Uniteds castoffs,

N145UA (c/n 21441), originally N536PA

Clipper Lindbergh, was selected andflown to Waco, Texas in 1999 wheredefence and electronics specialists

L3 Communications IntegratedSystems converted the airliner into asophisticated research platform.

From Airliner to ObservatoryThe modifications, the most extensive

to any airframe at the time, poseda number of major challenges. The


The data providedby SOFIA cannot beobtained by any otherastronomical facility on

the ground or in space.NASA

SOFIA's German-builttelescope includesprimary and second-ary mirrors, the lattera small black circle inthe centre supported bythree braces. The whitelower flexible door ispartially raised, and thesemi-circular apertureramp is on the right.NASA/TOM TSCHIDA

BOTTOM LEFT The tel-escope's primary mirrorassembly being liftedinto the rear fuselagecavity. NASA/TONYLANDIS

BOTTOM RIGHT

Installation of the largetelescope door requiredextensive modifica-tions to the rear of theairframe.NASA/L3

COMMUNICATIONS


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17 tons (15,420kg) infrared reflecting

telescope is situated in the rear of the

747, as this location was found to be

least disruptive to the aerodynamics

of the airframe. Its primary and

secondary mirrors measure 8.2ft

(2.5m) and 15in (35cm) respectively,

giving it a resolution of two arcseconds

(equivalent to seeing a 3.3ft (1m) object

62 miles (100km) away). Two additional

mirrors split infrared and visible light

for recording. The device is mounted

on hydraulic oil bearings to prevent

vibration, and is counterbalanced with

weights, instrumentation and computer

hardware. The mechanism is so

friction-free that the combined 20 tons

(18,144kg) weight could be pushed with

a finger, although three gyroscopes

and magnetic torque motors move

the telescope to compensate for the

aircrafts motion, enabling it to track a

target continuously.

The optical equipment has a field of

view from 20 to 60 degrees above the

horizon, and has to be exposed to the

atmosphere. A section 170in (430cm)

long and 220in (550cm) tall almost

a quarter of the circumferences of

the fuselage and believed to be the

largest opening in any airframe

was removed from the port side of

the aircraft to enable the telescope to

see the view. The 747 was developed

before computer-aided design was

widely used, so L3 created a structural

model incorporating more than 150,000

airframe components to ascertain

the ramifications of opening such a

large hole in the side of the aircraft.

The mapping revealed that the cavity

would have a significant impact on

the rigidity of the airframe, and helped

define the changes needed to preservethe structural integrity of the aircraft.

Many frames, stringers and the skin

panels around the rear fuselage were

modified or replaced, the 3L/3R doors

were blocked, the cabin floor was

strengthened, and control cable runs

to the tail surfaces were rerouted. The

aircrafts original Pratt & Whitney JT9D-

7A engines were also replaced with

uprated 50,000lb JT9D-7Js.

A computer-controlled cover prevents

dust and water vapour contaminating

the telescope mirrors. It is closed on the

ground and during climb and descent,

but is open during observations. The

door alone weighs 3,150lb (1,430kg)

and is equivalent in width and twice

the height to that on a double garage.

Aerodynamic modelling identified

that acoustic resonance would occur

when the cover was open (similar to

the buffeting inside a car driven with

a window down), and at 500mph

(800km/h) these pressure fluctuations

would have reduced the fatigue life of

the airframe to a few hours. Fairings

were added to smooth airflow over

the opening and door tracks, and a

ramp was installed inside the rear


The telescope protrudesinto the cabin througha custom-designedpressure bulkhead, andis stablised by gyrosand balanced withcomputer equipment.The FLITECAM nearinfrared camera (lowercentre, attached to theblack circular section) isinstalled in preparation

for a mission.

The StratosphericObservatory For InfraredAstronomy is installedin Boeing 747SP-21N747NA (c/n 21441). Themodified aircraft arrivesoverhead NASA's DrydenFlight Research Centerat Edwards Air ForceBase, California in May2007 after a ferry flightfrom Waco, Texas.NASA/LORI LOSEY


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of the cavity. The aerodynamics are

sufficiently refined that no buffeting or

noise is generated while the telescope is

exposed. Ambient air is used to cool the

telescope before the door is opened, anda Cavity Environmental Control System

(CECS) - which it is hoped will be used

for cooling in future - dries air in the

cavity to prevent condensation forming

on the mirrors prior to landing.

A new pressure bulkhead capable of

withstanding in excess of one million

pounds (454,000kg) of pressure was

installed inside the fuselage aft of

the wing trailing edge, to maintain a

breathable cabin environment for the

crew. The remainder of the main deckaccommodates computer consoles, a

conference table, and reclining Business

Class seats for educators, visitors and

guests. The aircraft typically carries

between four and six operations

personnel including a mission director,

a science flight planner and telescope

operators. There are further stations

for four to six scientists and as many

as 15 observers, journalists and safety

escorts. An intercom with headsets

enables communication in the noisycabin, and four-point harnesses and

portable emergency oxygen systems

are provided at each seat. The forward

lavatories and galley have been retained,

as has the 747's iconic spiral staircase. A

Mission Control and Communications

System (MCCS) is housed in a large


N747NA is pushed out ofNASA Building 703 priorto a ten-hour overnightflight.

SOFIA/FORCAST mid-infrared images of theMilky Way Galaxy'snucleus showing the cir-cumnuclear ring of gasand dust clouds orbitinga central supermassiveblack hole. NASA


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cabinet that fills the left side of the

first class seating area in the nose,

along with power distribution and data

recording equipment. Finally, a monitor

that measures water vapour in the air

outside is mounted in a pressure-sealed

container on the 747s upper deck it

collects readings through an acrylic

aperture which replaces a window andis used by the MCCS to correct data

received from the telescope.

Light collected by the telescope passes

through the rear pressure bulkhead into

a selection of science instruments

cameras, spectrographs or photometers.

Typically, only one instrument is flown

at a time. The devices record images

at wavelengths ranging from optical

to far infrared and can be installed and

removed within two days, enabling

the observatory to be reconfigured

for each mission. The quick changes

also facilitate maintenance and repair,

and enable updates as new technology

becomes available activities not easy

to accomplish on orbital telescopes.

Although it had been flown to Texas

in 1999, it was 2007 before the airframe

modifications were complete and the

telescope installed. N747NA flew for

the first time on April 26 that year and a

month later it was rechristened Clipper

Lindbergh by the famous aviatorsgrandson, Erik. At the end of May,

the aircraft was flown to Edwards Air

Force Base in California, where it took

three further years to install computer

systems that support the telescope.

SOFIAs first door open flight took place

on December 18, 2009 and initial 'first

light' nighttime observations occurredon May 25/26 the following year. Full

envelope validation was completed on

August 4, 2010.

SOFIA Science Instruments

EXES Echelon-Cross Echelle Spectrograph Mid-infrared

FIFI-LS Fie ld Imaging Far- Infrared Line Spectrometer Far in frared

FLITECAM First L ight Inf rared Test Exper iment CAMera Near Inf rared

FORCAST Faint Object InfraRed CAmera for the SOFIATelescope

Mid-infrared

FPI+ Focal Plane Imager Visual

upGREATGerman Receiver for Astronomy at TerahertzFrequencies

Far infrared

HAWC+ H igh- reso lu ti on Air bo rne W ideband Camera Far in fr ared

HIPO High-speed Imaging Photometer for Occultations Multi-wavelength


A mid-infrared imageof the W3A star cluster(inset) captured by theFORCAST camera onSOFIA. It is overlaid ona near-infrared imageof the W3 star-formingregion from the Spitzerspace telescope.NASA/CALTECH-JPL


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In 2012, the original telescope controls

were upgraded and integrated with the

Observatory Command and Control

System. At the same time, the flight

deck was updated with Honeywell

Primus Epic CDS/R avionics includingfive large glass cockpit instrument

displays, and the wingtip HF antennas

were removed and replaced with new

equipment in the vertical stabiliser. The

changes were necessary as the original

flight management system (FMS) could

not store more than nine waypoints,

nor fly the 747 with sufficient accuracy

for the telescope to continuously track

a target. The analogue instruments

had also become unreliable and did not

comply with global airspace regulations,

which inhibited SOFIA's deployment

outside the USA. Although the captains

and first officers instrumentationwere upgraded, the flight engineers

station was retained but now includes

a digital engine indicator panel in

addition to the controls for the Cavity

Door Drive System (CDDS). There are

no 747 flight simulators with such a

flight deck configuration, so recurrent

pilot training (to airline standards) is

conducted on an unmodified device.

Although it had been supporting

science missions for some time, SOFIA

moved out of its development phase on

May 29, 2014 when NASA declared the

observatory fully operational.

Flying with SOFIAEach year NASA invites proposals

from the international scientific

community to use SOFIA, making 450

hours of observation time available in

2014. Agency investigators help would-

be researchers develop detailed science

objectives and an observation and flight

plan which, once approved, become the

basis on which a mission is conducted.

The scientists responsible for these

projects fly in the observatory, working

alongside a team from NASA and DLR.

Anyone flying in SOFIA also has to

attend a comprehensive egress training

course the aircraft does not carry

flight attendants so passengers have to

know how to use both the oxygen and

smoke masks, and open the exits and

evacuate quickly in an emergency.

Science Mission Operations are

managed by the Universities Space

Research Association (USRA) for NASA,

and by the Deutsches SOFIA Institut

(DSI) at the Universitat Stuttgart for DLR.

The SOFIA Science Center (SSC) in the

Ames Research Center in Mountain

View, California, is responsible for

planning each trip and provides a

Mission Director to manage every

flight. Most missions originate from

the Armstrong Flight Research Center

at Palmdale, but the observatory is

deployed to Christchurch, New Zealand

for six weeks each summer to benefit

from dryer air and to study objects not

viewable from northern latitudes.

Flights take place at night and have a


TOP LEFT SOFIA is ajoint NASA and DLRproject. The modifica-tions to the rear fuse-lage of the 747SP arequite evident.

TOP RIGHT Blanksreplace several windowson the upper deck. Oneincludes an aperturethat enables the watervapour content of theatmosphere to be moni-tored.

ABOVE Mission plan-ning involves reviewingthe scientific objectives,flight routing, NOTAMs,fuel and weather, andcontingency planningto deal with technicalproblems. The meetingtakes place two hours

before a flight.

RIGHT The controls forthe Cavity Door Drive

System (CDDS) havebeen installed on thelower right of the FlightEngineer's station.The bright green lightindicates that the dooris open.

ABOVE RIGHT The flightdeck instrument panelshave been upgradedwith Honeywell PrimusEpic CDS/R avionics,including five large CRTdisplays.


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typical duration of around ten hours,

providing an hour each for climb and

descent and eight hours for observation.

The purpose of SOFIA Flight 243 was

to set up, calibrate and obtain data from

FLITECAM, as the near-infrared camera

had not previously been attached to

the telescope on its own. Careful flight

planning was required, and as the

telescope provided views only fromthe left side of the aircraft, several

targets were selected for observation.

The scientific objectives were to take

measurements from StRS371, a distant

star obscured by interstellar gas and

dust, and to examine the composition of

the atmosphere of GJ347ab, a Uranus-

sized planet outside our Solar System.

The legs of the trip each of which

lasted several hours followed precisely

timed, gently curved tracks that took

account of the movement of the aircraft

and the rotation of the Earth to ensure

the telescope could see the target

throughout. The 12-legs initially took

N747NA north from Palmdale and then

west over the Pacific Ocean before

turning right and making landfall

again at the northern tip of Vancouver

Island. Continuing further northwards,

the mission reversed course to the

northwest of Yellowknife, Canada,

before flying a long leg over the ocean

off the coast of Oregon and California

and returning to base.

The flight deck crew was led by Arthur

Ace Beall, an experienced pilot whohas flown NASAs 747 Shuttle Carrier

Aircraft (SCA). Supporting Ace in

the right-hand seat was Emmanuel

Manny Antimisiaris, another high-

time 747 captain who also f lies NASAs

DC-8, King Air and Gulfstreams. Flight

Engineer Chris Farinha, who also

crews the General Electric 747 engine

testbeds, completed the cockpit team.

Mission Director Karina Leppik from

SSC headed the science staff, assisted

by Science Flight Planner and Senior

Mission Director Charles Kaminski,

five scientists from USRA and three

from the DSI. Completing the crew

were representatives from SOFIAs

Public Affairs Office andAirliner World.

Visitors are seated at two Education

and Public Outreach Consoles, which

display the same information as is

presented to the mission director.

A comprehensive briefing took

place in Building 703 at Palmdale two

hours before wheels-up time. The

team discussed every aspect of the

trip, including the flight plan, fuel

burn, aircraft performance, weather,

NOTAMs, safety, and the studies that

were to take place. Particular attention

was paid to the water vapour loading

of the atmosphere and the altitudes to

which the aircraft could climb. Prior to

the briefing, the aircraft systems hadbeen checked and FLITECAM had been

serviced with liquid nitrogen as the

performance of its sensor is improved

at low temperatures. The cavity door

was also closed before N747NA was

pushed out of the hangar, because

sunlight generates excessive heat that

can damage the telescope. A fuel load

of 255,000lb (115,700kg) was uplifted

for the trip, of which around 220,000lbs

(99,800kg) would be burned.

An hour before take-off, a final safety

briefing took place onboard the aircraft.

Fifteen minutes later the engines were

started, taxi began 20 minutes after that

and the flight - callsign NASA747 - took

off from Palmdale at 21:54, precisely as

planned. Despite being fairly close to its

maximum take-off weight of 696,000lbs

(315,700kg), the 747SP soared into the

air from Palmdales Runway 25 and

turned north towards its first waypoint

the uprated engines improved climb

performance which helped maximiseobserving time. Close attention was

paid to speed and position throughout

the flight and ATC centres were advised

that the 747 might deviate up to 20 miles

(32km) from its planned track, should

minor course corrections be needed

to enable the telescope to see its target

despite variations in the forecast wind.

The cavity door was opened once

36,000ft was reached. Mission


Due to their lengthand the specificitywith which the aircraft

must be positioned, thebiggest challenges withSOFIA flights come indeveloping the flightplan and obtaining thenecessary clearancesto fly it.Gordon Fullerton, SOFIA test pilot

The Education andPublic Outreach stationsprovide information onthe status and positionof the telescope, and anoverview of the imagerycaptued by the scienceinstruments - similar tothe data available to themission director.

A mission director(Karina Leppik, stand-ing) manages the entireflight, and an intercomsystem enables commu-nications between theresearch team and theflight deck. Between themission director'sstation and the tel-escope are the scienceconsoles, while to theleft are the facilitiesused by the telescopeoperators and engineers.


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Director Leppik called Flight Engineer

Farinha, and together they ran through

the checklist. With the door seal

deflated, Farinha manipulated the CDDS

controls on the panel and without any

noise or buffeting the large door in the

rear of the fuselage was completely

open two minutes later. With that task

complete 45 minutes into the mission,

the fuel load had lightened enough to

enable a further climb to 38,000ft andwhen the aircraft levelled again the

serious scientific work began. Two

hours later the aircrafts gross weight

had decreased and there was another

climb to 40,000ft, although the science

team was keen to go higher still.

Throughout the flight the section of the

telescope inside the pressurised cabin

appeared to be gently rotating back

and forth of its own accord. In reality

the gyro-stabilisation was keeping it

absolutely steady and locked-on target,

while the aircraft was moving in the

slightly turbulent air.

The mission director controls the

flight and coordinates all on-board

activities including authorising the

opening and closing of the cavity door,

allowing the scientists to start work

or advising them to pause while the

aircraft manoeuvres, requesting course

changes, even approving visits to theflight deck. Karina Leppik explained

a little more about her role: We cant

do any science while the aircraft is

climbing, descending or turning we

need to be as stable as possible. There

are limits to how much the telescope

can move in the cavity, but I'm able to

check where it is using crosshairs on

the screen. I monitor it throughout

the flight and pass any course changes

needed to the pilots to keep it on target.

I also have to understand what the

scientists are doing and what they need,

and make sure the airplane delivers it.Throughout the trip, she made regular

calls to the flight deck: Mission director.

One degree right [or left] please to

ensure the telescope remained aligned.

Backing up Leppik, Charles Kaminski

kept an eye on progress against the

flight plan, checking the status of

any restricted areas that needed to

be penetrated. There are rarely any

problems. Up on the flight deck, Beall

remarked: For us, the flight is mostly

routine. We have to deal with minor

course corrections, and of course we

talk to ATC. Science wants us as high

as possible to give them the best view,

but we have to manage climb against

the weight of the airplane. We work the

engines hard. Quite often we are close

to our performance limits, with the

The SOFIA Boeing 747SP timeline

April 25, 1977 First flight

May 6, 1977 Delivered to Pan American World Airways as N546PA

May 20, 1977Named Clipper Lindbergh(50th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic)

February 13, 1986 Sold to United Airlines as N145UA

October 20, 1995 Final passenger service, Chicago to San Francisco

November 01, 1995 Flown to Las Vegas and stored

April 30, 1997 Sold to Universities Space Research Association

October 27, 1997 Transferred to NASA

1999 Flown to L3 Communications facility in Waco, Texas

June 1, 2003 Telescope installation completed

April 25, 2004 New rear bulkhead pressure tested

December 17, 2004 Reregistered N747NA

April 26, 2007 First post-modification test flight in Texas

May 2007 Flown to NASA facility at Edwards A ir Force Base, California

January 15, 2008 Transferred to Armstrong Flight Research Center, Palmdale

December 18, 2009 First 100% door-open flight

May 25/26, 2010 First in-flight observations (first science flight November 30)

September 16, 2011 Five-day deployment to Cologne and Stuttgart, Germany

July 19, 2013 Two-week deployment to Christchurch, New Zealand

May 29, 2014 SOFIA declared fully operational

June 28, 2014 D-Check at Hamburg, Germany (completed December 14)

June 14, 2015 Six-week deployment to Christchurch, New Zealand

Boeing 747SP-21N747NAPerformance Data

Crew:Flight deck 3; Science 4-8;Educators/teachers 5 -15

Airspeed:520mph (450kts, Mach 0.8) at41,000ft (12,500m)

Ceiling: 45,000ft (13,700m)

Range: 7,650 miles (12,320km)

Missionduration:

Standard 7-9 hours,Maximum 12.2 hours

Empty weight: 378,000lbs (171,458kg)Maximum take-off weight:

696,000lbs (315,700kg)

Maximum fuelload:

300,000lbs (136,078kg)

Powerplants:4 x 50,000lb (22,680kg) thrustPratt & Whitney JT9D -7J turbofans


SOFIA flying over south-ern California during

a rare daytime flight.The cavity door - onthe opposite side of theaircraft - is closed, butthe channels in whichit moves are obvious.NASA/JIM ROSS


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margin between low- and high-speed

buffet being about 15kts (28km/h) and

sometimes as little as 8kts (15km/h).

That compares with a typical passenger

flight where the margin might be

around 50kts (93km/h).

ATC are usually very helpful many

of them know our callsign and what we

need. We can cross most restricted and

military operations areas, but they dont

let us over parts of the Nevada desertor the missile ranges in New Mexico.

Airline traffic is rarely a problem as we

fly higher than they do, and there isnt

much of it around at night anyway.

The flight continued with scientists

staring at computer screens while vast

amounts of data was recorded onto the

disk arrays in the front of the aircraft; it

would be downloaded after landing for

more detailed analysis. A bonus for the

flight deck crew as the northernmost

turn near Yellowknife approached were

stunning views of the Northern Lights,

a phenomenon they see occasionally

when the trips head to higher latitudes.

On the southbound leg, chatter on

the ATC frequencies increased as

commercial flights from Asia started

to approach the USA, but by that time

N747NA was at 43,000ft, well above

most other aircraft.

Eight-and-a-half hours after take-off,

a final course change was necessary.

The research stopped so the telescope

could be caged and the cavity sealed.

The flight was scheduled to land aftersunrise with potential for the optics to

be damaged by exposure to sunlight,

so it was important the door shut

successfully. If it had not done so,

diverting to an airport still in darkness

would have been preferable but as a last

resort the aircraft would have landed

at Palmdale and been parked with the

aperture facing away from the sun.

As earlier, Farinha operated the CDDS

from the flight engineers station, while

Leppik called out the checklist from the

cabin below. All went well and with the

cavity closeed, Beall and Antimisiaris

retarded the throttles, pushed the nose

down and pointed the aircraft to home.

Nine hours and 20 minutes after take-

off, NASA747 was back on Runway 25

at Palmdale with objectives met and

the mission judged a success. The

teams working day had been almost 14

hours close to the maximum allowed,

at least for the pilots. Everyone left

for breakfast and some well-earned

rest, but most would later return to

Building 703 for a debrief. Meanwhile,the data captured during the flight was

downloaded and transferred to the SSC

in Mountain View for further analysis.

N747NA was pulled into the hangar,

but would be back outside again a few

hours later to fly another mission.

Invaluable ResearchSOFIA, the worlds only flying

observatory, has already played a part in

some remarkable discoveries including:

Recording images of Jupiter

showing heat that had been trapped

since the formation of the planet,

pouring out of the interior through


Armstrong FlightResearch CenterBuilding 703 at Palmdalepreviously housed theRockwell B-1 bomberproduction line. It isnow home to someof NASA's sciencefleet including SOFIA,a Douglas DC-8, twoLockheed ER-2s and aGulfstream.NASA/TOM TSCHIDA

Almost 40 years oldbut looking pristine. Adedicated team of NASAengineers maintains theaircraft, but its mostrecent major overhaulwas performed by

Lufthansa Technik.


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holes in its clouds. Observing light from an explosion

11.4 million light years from Earth in

galaxy M82, helping to define the massof the radioactive core of the supernova(stellar explosion).

Gathering data on star-forming

region W40 situated beyond a densecloud of dust in our galaxy, seeing

bright nebulas including six stars thatare up to 20 times larger than the sun.

Discovering that a cloud fromanother supernova 10,000 years agoproduced sufficient material to form7,000 Earth-like planets.

Watching Pluto pass between theEarth and a distant star, enablingmeasurements of the atmosphericdensity and structure of the dwarf

planet to be taken. Studying an area 400 light years

from Earth in the constellationOphiuchus, revealing it takes at least

one million years for a star to form

much longer than previously thought.NASA also uses SOFIA to conduct

a public outreach programme

in which Airborne AstronomyAmbassadors (AAA) help enhancescience, technology, engineering andmathematics education. AAAs take agraduate-level Astronomy for Teachers

course, are paired with an astronomerwith observatory time, and typically flytwice before leading classroom lessonsbased on their experiences.

In 2014, SOFIAs $88 million costwas second only to the Hubble space

telescope in NASAs annual budget forongoing programmes. In Fiscal Year2015 (FY15), the observatory was to be

mothballed after the agency proposedallocating all but $12.3 million of itsfunding to other projects, but the USCongress rejected the plan. The FY16

budget provided $87 million for SOFIAon the basis it would support moreresearch, in fewer flying hours, withimproved systems. Demand fromthe science community is so great

it could fly every night, but financialconstraints currently prohibit this.Paul Hertz, NASAs Astrophysics

Division Director, said: We check it

out on Monday, we will f ly it Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday, and put it tobed on Friday. This enables the system

to undertake 100 missions during itsnine-month flying season, providing1,000 cloud-free high-altitudeobservation hours annually.

Obtaining parts and engines for 747

classics is becoming problematic, but

NASA removed spares from the SCAsand the Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laserafter they were retired in 2012. N747NA

was flown to Hamburg for a D-Checkwith Lufthansa Technik on June 28,2014, which has given the aircraftseveral more years in the air. While inGermany the telescope also underwent

maintenance, and the aircrafts airconditioning and heating systems wererenewed, its cabin wall panels replacedand in-flight internet was installed.

With funding restored and the life ofthe science systems expected to be 20years, SOFIAs nocturnal data gathering

will continue to help scientists developtheir understanding of the universe, atleast until its next major overhaul isdue in five years time.

The author would like to thank SOFIAPublic Affairs Officer Nicholas A

Veronico, the NASA Armstrong FlightResearch Center, and the team on

mission 243 for their patience andsupport in preparing this feature.

The most excitingscience is reallytrying to understandthe chemistry and,potentially, the biologythats going on inspace, and gettingto the heart of thequestion, did life formhere on Earth, or did itform out in space?Eric Becklin, SOFIA Chief Science

Advisor

SOFIA usually flies onTuesday, Wednesday andThursday nights. NASA/TOM TSCHIDA

SOFIA Mission243 departed fromPalmdale (bottomright), flying over thePacific Ocean and asfar north as Yellowknifein Canada beforereturning to base. Thecurved tracks allowthe telescope to seeits target throughout,despite the rotation ofthe earth.COURTESY OFFLIGHTAWARE(FLIGHTAWARE.COM)

Documents

Stargazing With SOFIA