SOFIA to Fly

摘要

The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a 2.5 m, optical, infrared, submillimeter telescope mounted in a Boeing (Chicago, Illinois) 747 airplane, to be used for many basic astronomical observations performed at stratospheric altitudes. A ground mission facility will be created to support the aircraft and science missions. The observatory will accommodate installation of different focal plane instruments with in-flight accessibility provided by investigators selected from the international science community. The observatory objective is expected to have an operational lifetime in excess of 20 years.