SOFIA airborne observatory operations
E2740
airborne astronomy program
astronomical observatory operations
infrared astronomy facility operations
SOFIA airborne observatory operations were the flight and mission activities of a modified Boeing 747SP carrying a 2.5-meter infrared telescope to conduct high-altitude astronomical observations above most of Earth’s atmospheric water vapor.
Aliases (6)
Statements (62)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
airborne astronomy program
→
astronomical observatory operations → infrared astronomy facility operations → |
| advantage |
ability to access wavelengths not observable from the ground
→
flexible deployment to different observing locations → reduced atmospheric absorption of infrared light → |
| aircraftModification |
large fuselage door for telescope access
→
telescope cavity in aft fuselage → vibration isolation system for telescope → |
| aircraftRegistration |
N747NA
→
|
| aircraftType |
modified Boeing 747SP
→
|
| altitudeRange |
about 11 to 14 kilometers
→
about 37,000 to 45,000 feet → |
| basedAt |
Armstrong Flight Research Center
→
Palmdale Regional Airport → Palmdale, California → |
| canSupport |
occultation observations
→
time-critical transient events → |
| country |
Germany
→
United States → |
| crewIncludes |
flight crew
→
flight planners → instrument scientists → mission director → telescope operators → |
| endDate |
2022
→
|
| fundedBy |
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
→
NASA Astrophysics Division → |
| missionPlanning |
flight paths constrained by airspace and safety requirements
→
flight paths optimized for target visibility → |
| missionType |
engineering flights
→
nighttime flights → science flights → |
| notableCapability |
ability to deploy to southern hemisphere bases
→
ability to follow moving targets across the sky → |
| observes |
Kuiper Belt objects
→
comets → galaxies → interstellar medium → planetary atmospheres → star-forming regions → |
| operatedBy |
Deutsches SOFIA Institut (DSI)
→
German Aerospace Center (DLR) → NASA → Universities Space Research Association (USRA) → |
| partOf |
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
→
|
| primaryWavelength |
far-infrared
→
infrared → submillimeter → |
| purpose |
conduct high-altitude astronomical observations
→
observe the universe in infrared wavelengths → operate above most of Earth’s atmospheric water vapor → |
| scienceOperations |
calibration observations
→
data acquisition during flight → instrument changes between flights → post-flight data reduction → real-time monitoring of telescope performance → |
| startDate |
2010
→
|
| status |
terminated
→
|
| succeeds |
Kuiper Airborne Observatory operations
→
|
| usesInstrument |
2.5-meter infrared telescope
→
|
| usesVehicle |
Boeing 747SP
→
|
Referenced by (9)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Boeing 747SP
("Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy")
→
|
airframeModifiedFor |
|
Deutsches SOFIA Institut
("SOFIA airborne observatory")
→
|
associatedWith |
|
Palmdale Regional Airport
("NASA SOFIA")
→
|
associatedWithProgram |
|
Ames Research Center
→
|
contributedTo |
|
Palmdale Regional Airport
("SOFIA Boeing 747SP observatory aircraft")
→
|
hasBasedAircraft |
|
Boeing 747SP
("SOFIA airborne observatory")
→
|
notableUse |
|
SOFIA airborne observatory operations
("Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy")
→
|
partOf |
|
Deutsches SOFIA Institut
("SOFIA airborne infrared observatory")
→
|
program |
|
Deutsches SOFIA Institut
("SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy)")
→
|
worksOn |