SOFIA takes off from Armstrong Flight Research Center

SOFIA takes off from its base of operations at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Building 703 in Palmdale, California, on its way to Fa’a’ā, French Polynesia. Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas

SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, was a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a 2.7-meter (106-inch) reflecting telescope (with an effective diameter of 2.5 meters or 100 inches). Flying into the stratosphere at 38,000-45,000 feet put SOFIA above 99 percent of Earth’s infrared-blocking atmosphere, allowing astronomers to study the solar system and beyond in ways that are not possible with ground-based telescopes. SOFIA was a joint project of NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR.