SOFIA Observatory Completes First Astronomy Mission

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, finished the first of three planned science flights on Monday. SOFIA is a collaborative effort between NASA and the German Aerospace Center.

What we're talking about is a much modified Boeing 747SP that will be able to reach altitudes between 39,000 and 45,000 feet, affording scientists a better - not to mention closer - look at star and planet formation, as well as other astronomical phenomena.

In this photo, an F/A-18 trailing in chase soars over California City in the desert north of Edwards Air Force Base.

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy rests on the tarmac of its Palmdale, Calif. base in the Mojave Desert illuminated by the moonlight. The craft completed the first of three science flights planned before Christmas, and marks the start of a 20-year observing campaign

The high-tech German-built infrared telescope and its associated lower flexible telescope cavity door are rotated upward to their maximum 58-degree vertical position in this close-up photo taken during the last flight in the SOFIA observatory's flight envelope-expansion test series.

The Faint Object InfraRed Camera for the SOFIA Telescope (FORCAST) was created by Cornell University.

Another view of the Faint Object Infrared Camera for the SOFIA Telescope, or FORCAST, mounted on the telescope during preparation for flight.

Cornell University's Faint Object Infrared Camera for the SOFIA Telescope is shown attached to the SOFIA telescope.

Another view of the 747SP.

With a protective sun cover over its primary mirror, the high-tech German-built infrared telescope is nested in its framework inside the 19-foot-deep, 12-foot-wide telescope cavity in the rear fuselage of NASA's SOFIA flying observatory.

Engineers and technicians prepare SOFIA's German-built primary mirror assembly for reinstallation into NASA's 747SP airborne observatory.

Terry Herter, principal investigator for Cornell University's FORCAST instrument, and Cornell research associate Joe Adams check the alignment of the instrument to the SOFIA telescope's secondary mirror during nighttime, ground-based checkout operations.

Technicians position the transport cradle as a crane lowers SOFIA's primary mirror assembly into place prior to finish coating of the mirror at NASA Ames.

NASA's new SOFIA observatory shared the ramp with its predecessor, the now-retired Kuiper Airborne Observatory.

A composite infrared image of the central portion of galaxy M82, from SOFIA's First Light flight, at wavelengths of 20 (blue), 32 (green) and 37 microns (red). The middle inset image shows the same portion of the galaxy at visual wavelengths.

Composite infrared image of Jupiter from SOFIA at wavelengths of 5.4 (blue), 24 (green) and 37 microns (red), made by Cornell University's FORCAST camera.

A recent visual-wavelength picture of approximately the same side of Jupiter is shown for comparison. The white stripe in the infrared image is a region of relatively transparent clouds through which the warm interior of Jupiter can be seen.

Herter of Cornell University took this infrared image of the heart of the Orion star-formation complex from SOFIA.