747 cockpit star night sky2/28/2024 ![]() SOFIA has the flexibility to respond to events such as supernova and nova explosions, cometary impacts, comet apparitions, eclipses, occultations, near-Earth objects, activity in active galactic nuclei, and activity in luminous variable stars. The observatory can operate from airbases worldwide on short notice to respond to new discoveries in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The main mission of the SOFIA team is to fly at altitudes between 39,000 and 45,000 feet (12-14km) to observe star and planet formation, organic compounds in space, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, atmospheres, ring, and moons in the outer solar system, as well as comets and near-Earth asteroids. Flying at these heights give SOFIA’s scientific team a view from above more than 99 percent of Earth’s atmospheric water vapour, thereby opening windows to the universe not available from the ground. There are four flight crews that split the deployment with two working the first month followed by the second set. In addition, the airspace in and around Christchurch is quiet, giving the crew many options regarding the timing of when they would like to conduct their missions.įor this deployment 100 team members, from the scientists to the ground and flight crew, deployed to Christchurch for two months, with flying to be conducted three to four nights per week. During the evening and in winter it’s an airport that has much less traffic than most other international airports. Antarctic Program base at the Christchurch International Airport during the winter months as very few flights to Antarctica are conducted this time of year.įrom SOFIA’s point of view, there is a minimization in time utilizing the airports facilities. ![]() In addition, the flying observatory is able to use the National Science Foundation’s U.S. SOFIA operates from Christchurch for access to the southern skies, enabling the observatory to study celestial objects that can’t be seen from the northern hemisphere. As of today, it is 1 of 9 serviceable aircraft of its type out of the 45 built. The SOFIA team believe it will be able to remain an active airborne observatory for another 15-20 years, therefore will almost certainly make it the last operating Boeing 747SP when it approaches retirement. Due to the low amount of cycles, the aircraft is much younger than the delivery date would suggest. It was later sold to United Airlines in 1986 until 1997, when it was picked up by NASA for use as an experimental aircraft.Īfter being grounded for almost 10 years, SOFIA now takes to the skies again after a heavy and noticeable modification into the aircraft that we see and recognize today. Christened “Clipper Lindbergh”, it continues to wear the name today, honouring Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The iconic Boeing SP derivative of the 747 line of aircraft was delivered on the 6th of May of 1977 to Pan American as N536PA. The NASA team, in conjunction with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), brought their famous and illusive Boeing 747SP-21 down from their home base at NASA Armstrong Research Centre in Palmdale, California transiting via Honolulu in search of clear dark skies for their scientific expeditions. This observatory is a key element in scientist’s and NASA’s research portfolio for chemical and dynamical studies of warm material in the universe, and for observations of deeply embedded sources and transient events. SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP aircraft housing a 2.5-meter gyrostabilized telescope designed to make sensitive measurements of a wide range of astronomical objects at wave lengths from 0.3 microns to 1600 microns. Special Purpose Military Aircraft Gallery.McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F/A-18 Gallery.
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