Upper rigid door maintenance

The SOFIA team begins lifting the upper rigid door off the aircraft. The upper rigid door has had a period of high performance and this is the first time it has needed to be removed and serviced since 2008. Image Credit: Syd Meyers.

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.