Does anyone have new info on the status of SOFIA ( Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy ) the successor of the great Starlifter C-141 KAO ( Kuiper Airborne Observatory ) which was retired in 1995.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/t....25.06.1247.jpg

AFAIK it is (back) in the NASA budget, at least for test flying. Science would come later (2008). Should have something to do with the large international (German) part. Nobody knows the next budget.

Analyst

Thanks... the SOFIA website didn't have a news update for the last 6 months:
http://www.sofia.usra.edu/News/news_updates.html

Here is a Link
Space Science, skroll about one third down.

Analyst

Thanks, some nice images of SOFIA:
http://www.dsi.uni-stuttgart.de/downloads/gallery.html

Anyone saw the movie yet?
http://www.scienceofspectroscopy.info/edit...?title=Skysight

SOFIA flies: http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/SOFIA/index.html

I was thinking, man that's a stubby 747! I'd never heard of the 747SP ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747SP )

What a blimp!

Flying observatory renamed on Lindbergh anniversary

I still can't believe SOFIA will cost $3 billion over its whole lifetime. Seems like a lot of money, the same as Cassini over about the same timescale. But it is worth it, I am pretty sure. What does KECK cost over over 20 years including design and construction?

Analyst

Well an airborne observatory will have a very high percentage of photometric nights while the Mauna Kea only has 55% of photometric nights (although 72% spectroscopic nights or ‘usable’ time nights).

SOFIA's primary mirror receives coating; ready for installation.

http://www.sofia.usra.edu/News/news_2008/06_20_08/index.html

Now it's just waiting for "First Light"

For general information about SOFIA, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/sofia

For science information about SOFIA, visit: http://www.sofia.usra.edu

Wait - did they borrow my garden hose sprayer?. I like this low-tech approach even on such a big, expensive mirror.

Airbag

Latest news on the new mirror:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/int_update_9_22.html

She flies with eyes open:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/multime...OFIA/index.html

Photos from test flights -- doors opened for the first time on December 18th, 2009.

Nice feature from the BBC with video inside and out and of the doors opening in flight:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8636012.stm

Also the SOFIA photo gallery in the previous post appears to contain updates from the same media day.

Star formation estimated to take at least one million years.