Author Topic: NASA/DLR - SOFIA updates  (Read 72794 times)

Offline jacqmans

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #40 on: 06/07/2016 12:17 pm »
Press release, 7 June 2016

Down under – SOFIA flying observatory with three instruments in New Zealand

SOFIA is in New Zealand for the third time – it visited the country in 2013 and 2015 as well. On 6 June 2016, the joint NASA and German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) flying observatory landed at Christchurch Internationl
Airport at 01:37 CEST (11:37 local time). Ths Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) will embark on the first scientific flight of this year's campaign in the southern hemisphere on 9 June. Equipped with the German-built remote infrared
spectrometers GREAT (German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies) and FIFI-LS (Field-Imaging Far-Infrared Line Spectrometer), as well as with the US FORCAST (Faint Object InfraRedCAmera for the SOFIA Telescope) SOFIA will conduct a total
of 25 observation flights until 20 July 2016.

With these instruments, it is possible to observe molecular and dust clouds in star forming regions. The scientists will be looking in particular at our neighbouring dwarf galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Cloud – visible only in the southern
sky – as well as at the motion of matter in the centre of our Milky Way, to compare the star forming regions in these different types of galaxies.

"During this year's research programme, for the first time three observation instruments will be used. For the scientists, this is a major benefit, as such star-forming regions can be observed in various stages of their development," explains Alois
Himmes, SOFIA Project Manager at the DLR Space Administration. As an example, the spectral 'fingerprints' of atoms and molecules can be measured to determine the gas densities, temperatures and velocities of the clouds. "The full dynamics of star formation
can thus be examined in detail – from huge but less dense molecular clouds, to small but compact clouds and the so-called protoplanetary discs, in the centre of which a new star has already started to shine," adds Himmes.

SOFIA left its home base in Palmdale, California on 4 June 2016 and landed in Christchurch, New Zealand after a refuelling stop in Hawaii. During this transfer flight, FIFI-LS and FORCAST were stowed in special transport racks in the cargo bay of the
Boeing 747SP. GREAT was already attached to the instrument flange of the 2.7-metre diameter telescope installed on the Jumbo jet. "GREAT was used in the recent research flights from Palmdale and will also be used for the first eight flights in New
Zealand," explains Himmes.

More than 100 staff members – including scientists, pilots, engineers, maintenance and security staff – will be in Christchurch until the end of July. SOFIA takes advantage of the long winter nights in New Zealand because, during this time, the water
vapour concentration in Earth's atmosphere is much lower than in the northern hemisphere summer. Even the smallest amount of water vapour in the air absorbs the infrared radiation, and it can no longer be measured by the spectrometers.

Exploring vast molecular clouds with GREAT

For the first time, an upgraded version of GREAT will also be flying in New Zealand – upGREAT. Instead of one detector, like in GREAT, upGREAT operates 14 detectors simultaneously. These are divided into two arrays and can therefore map a molecular
cloud significantly faster. "With upGREAT, the performance and observing efficiency of our instruments is increased approximately 10 times, and new unexplored frequency ranges become accessible," explains Rolf Güsten, head of the GREAT instrument at
the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn. "This year, the investigations will focus on the mapping of atomic oxygen in the Magellanic Clouds and in the galactic centre to study the chemistry of protoplanetary disks and planetary nebula,
as well as the hunt for molecules thus far not detected in space."

FIFI-LS acquires data on star formation

FIFI-LS will be exploring the southern hemisphere for the first time. This instrument observes with substantially more wavelengths than GREAT, and can perform faster large-scale mapping of extensive molecular clouds. This time, FIFI-LS will be used
to study the elements oxygen, nitrogen and carbon in star forming regions and the interstellar medium – the space between the stars both in our Milky Way and in other more distant galaxies. "This allows us to generate a detailed inventory of the material
in the vicinity of the galactic centre," explains Alfred Krabbe, head of the FIFI-LS instrument and the German SOFIA Institute (DSI) at the University of Stuttgart. "We will also investigate the large star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
This can only be done from New Zealand."

FORCAST closes the campaign

During its nine flights, FORCAST will measure at shorter wavelengths than FIFI-LS and observe in particular dust discs around newly formed stars, but also the dust that has been thrown back into the Universe by old stars and supernovae. On 25 July,
SOFIA will fly back to Palmdale again. Following a period of maintenance of the aircraft and the telescope, another 40 scientific flights will be carried out from California from mid-August until the end of 2016.
Jacques :-)

Offline Star One

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SOFIA updates
« Reply #41 on: 11/16/2016 06:58 pm »
Flying observatory SOFIA expanding frontiers in solar system and beyond

Quote
NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, will soon be studying Neptune’s giant moon, Triton, and following-up on Hubble’s recent sighting of water plumes on Jupiter’s moon Europa. According to recently completed plans for the 2017 observing campaign, about half of the research time for SOFIA will run the gamut from studies of planets to observations of comets and asteroids orbiting other stars and supermassive black holes in the centres of galaxies beyond our own. The other half will focus on star formation and the interstellar medium, the areas of dust and gas in the universe, including a vast turbulent region encircling the centre of our Milky Way galaxy.
A total of 535 observing hours have been awarded for SOFIA’s Science Cycle 5, which runs from February 2017 through January 2018, and the selected programs span the entire field of astronomy from planetary science to extragalactic investigations. Triton, only one-third of a light-year from Earth, will be one of the closest objects studied by NASA’s flying observatory while the farthest observation will study a supermassive black hole approximately 12 billion light-years away.

https://astronomynow.com/2016/11/16/flying-observatory-sofia-expanding-frontiers-in-solar-system-and-beyond/
« Last Edit: 11/16/2016 07:00 pm by Star One »

Offline rocx

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #42 on: 11/17/2016 07:45 am »
Quote
Triton, only one-third of a light-year from Earth

It's actually one light-hour away from Earth, or 1/3% of a light-year. How could such an error slip into their publication?
Any day with a rocket landing is a fantastic day.

Offline rweede

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #43 on: 11/17/2016 08:19 am »
Quote
Triton, only one-third of a light-year from Earth

It's actually one light-hour away from Earth, or 1/3% of a light-year. How could such an error slip into their publication?

Even less: It's about 0,045% of a light year (29-30 AU). Astonishing they did not catch that.

Offline Sam Ho

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #44 on: 11/17/2016 02:53 pm »
Quote
Triton, only one-third of a light-year from Earth

It's actually one light-hour away from Earth, or 1/3% of a light-year. How could such an error slip into their publication?

Even less: It's about 0,045% of a light year (29-30 AU). Astonishing they did not catch that.
That came straight from the SOFIA Science Center press release.

https://www.sofia.usra.edu/public/news-updates/nasa%E2%80%99s-flying-observatory-expanding-new-frontiers-solar-system-and-beyond

Online catdlr

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #45 on: 12/04/2016 09:10 pm »
Inside The Heart Of The World’s Largest Flying Observatory

NASA's Ames Research Center

Published on Dec 4, 2016
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is the largest airborne observatory in the world, capable of making observations that are impossible for even the largest and highest ground-based telescopes. SOFIA is an extensively modified Boeing 747SP aircraft carrying a reflecting telescope with an effective diameter of 2.5 meters (100 inches). SOFIA studies many different kinds of astronomical objects and phenomena, including star birth and death, the formation of new solar systems, black holes at the center of galaxies, and complex molecules in space. SOFIA's instruments — cameras, spectrometers, and photometers — operate in the near-, mid- and far-infrared wavelengths and allow scientists onboard to study the solar system and beyond while flying at 38,000- 45,000 feet. Learn more: http://go.nasa.gov/2gQ5AFF

NASA Ames Research Center is located in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. Follow us on social media to hear about the latest developments in space, science and technology.



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Offline bolun

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #46 on: 05/06/2017 06:50 pm »
May 2, 2017

SOFIA Confirms Nearby Planetary System is Similar to Our Own

NASA’s flying observatory, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, recently completed a detailed study of a nearby planetary system. The investigations confirmed that this nearby planetary system has an architecture remarkably similar to that of our solar system.

Located 10.5 light-years away in the southern hemisphere of the constellation Eridanus, the star Epsilon Eridani, eps Eri for short, is the closest planetary system around a star similar to the early sun. It is a prime location to research how planets form around stars like our sun, and is also the storied location of the Babylon 5 space station in the science fictional television series of the same name.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/sofia-confirms-nearby-planetary-system-is-similar-to-our-own

Image credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)

Online catdlr

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #47 on: 11/15/2017 09:59 pm »
HIRMES: SOFIA's latest high-resolution Mid-infrared Spectrometer

NASA Goddard
Published on Nov 15, 2017

A team from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is developing a new, third-generation facility science instrument for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA.

The High-Resolution Mid-InfrarEd Spectrometer (HIRMES), is a spectrometer optimized to detect neutral atomic oxygen, water, as well as normal and deuterated (or "heavy") hydrogen molecules at infrared wavelengths between 25 and 122 microns (a micron is one-millionth of a meter). These wavelengths are key to determining how water vapor, ice, and oxygen combine at different times during planet formation and will enable new observations of how these elements combine with dust to form the mass that may one day become a planet.

HIRMES will provide scientists with a unique opportunity to study this aspect of planetary formation, as SOFIA is currently the only NASA observatory capable of accessing these mid-infrared wavelengths. Infrared wavelengths between 28 and 112 microns do not reach ground-based telescopes because water vapor and carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere block this energy. SOFIA is able to access this part of the electromagnetic spectrum by flying between 39,000 feet and 45,000 feet, above more than 99 percent of this water vapor.

Read the web story – https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-selects-next-generation-spectrometer-for-sofia-flying-observatory

Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Scott Wiessinger
Francis Reddy (Syneren Technologies): Science Writer
Rob Andreoli (AIMM): Videographer
John Caldwell (AIMM): Videographer
Scott Wiessinger (USRA): Animator

Music credit: "Sparkle Shimmer" and "The Orion Arm", both from Killer Tracks.



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Offline Star One

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #48 on: 05/31/2018 08:01 pm »
SOFIA resumes observations after extended maintenance

Quote
WASHINGTON — A NASA airborne observatory that enjoys unusual protection from regular reviews resumed science flights recently after an extended maintenance period.

http://spacenews.com/sofia-resumes-observations-after-extended-maintenance/

Offline jacqmans

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #49 on: 09/16/2019 08:42 am »
DLR Press Release, 15 September 2019


SOFIA in Stuttgart – first scientific research flight over Europe

On 16 September 2019 at 04:14 CEST, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is expected to land at Stuttgart Airport. The airborne observatory is a joint project by the US space agency NASA and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches
Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR). SOFIA is scheduled to take off from Stuttgart at 19:40 CEST on 18 September for its first scientific research flight over Europe, during which it will fly over 12 countries. The idea behind this is that, during
its European mission, SOFIA will fly much farther north than it is able to when taking off from its home base in Palmdale, southern California. The closer the infrared observatory is able to fly to the poles, the less water vapour is present in the
atmosphere above it, offering improved observing conditions.

“This is a very special occasion – SOFIA will be taking off from Stuttgart for its first European scientific research flight,” says Pascale Ehrenfreund, Chair of the DLR Executive Board. “The researchers on board will be exploring the areas around
black holes and looking into the question of whether Dark Energy really is causing the Universe to expand at an ever-increasing rate.”

Tracking star formation

Not only did humans first set foot on the Moon 50 years ago in 1969, but NASA scientists also – somewhat by chance – discovered a very special galaxy. Markarian 231 – in the Ursa Major constellation – is approximately 600 million light years from Earth.
This is about 300 times further away than the Andromeda Galaxy, which is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way. Nonetheless, Markarian 231 is one of the nearest galaxies to Earth that is both extremely bright and has an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN).
Its luminosity in the infrared region of the spectrum makes Markarian 231 one of the brightest and best-known ultra-luminous infrared galaxies. Two black holes circle around one another at its centre. One of them, at four million solar masses, is rather
small; the other, which weighs 150 million solar masses, is much larger. Researchers are interested in looking at the area around these black holes during SOFIA’s first European flight. A dust torus surrounds them.

These doughnut-shaped regions are found around every AGN. However, the role that they play in generating radio jets remains unclear. These are pairs of plasma jets that are ejected from the centre of an AGN at relativistic velocities. Not every AGN
produces such radio jets, as has been shown by radio astronomy observations. Previous studies with SOFIA have indicated that the magnetic field in these dust-laden tori may help to trigger radio jet formation. Can the creation of the jets really be
traced back to the presence – or indeed the absence – of a magnetic field?  This is an important question to which astronomers have not yet found an answer.

Since only the High-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera (HAWC+) infrared instrument on SOFIA can measure magnetic fields in this wavelength range, the researchers want to use it to decipher the connection between these fields and radio jets. They began
their observations of the AGN of Cygnus A during a flight over southern California in 2018. “SOFIA’s first European mission will continue this research to finally solve the astronomical mystery of radio jets,” explains Alessandra Roy, the German SOFIA
Project Scientist at the DLR Space Administration, which operates the airborne observatory jointly with NASA.

Is the Universe expanding at an accelerating rate?

The Universe has been continuously expanding since the Big Bang. This discovery was made by Edwin Hubble in 1929 . Then, in the late 1980s, the Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicists Saul Perlmutter, Adam Riess and Brian Schmidt began observing type 1a
supernovae. These stellar explosions, referred to as ‘cosmic lighthouses’, are visible from far away and always have the same brightness. This allows their distances to be clearly determined, as the brighter these type 1a supernovae appear, the closer
they are to the observer. Determining the brightness of many supernovae enabled researchers to ascertain whether or not the expansion of the Universe is accelerating. The results came as a surprise. The observed stellar explosions were less luminous
than expected.

This made it clear to the three researchers that the expansion is speeding up and the Universe is being driven apart by a mysterious acceleration mechanism that is now referred to as Dark Energy. But is this really the case? Is the unexpectedly low
luminosity due to the Universe moving apart at increasing speed? Or was there some problem with the observations? “These are precisely the questions that researchers from Austin, Texas will be addressing as they use the HAWC+ instrument on board SOFIA
to observe dust in the home galaxies of type 1a supernovae. They will measure the dust content in the region around the stellar explosion. Similar observations will also be performed by the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope, which is scheduled
for launch in 2022. After these observations, we will perhaps know more precisely whether the expansion of the Universe is really accelerated by Dark Energy,” explains Roy, who is involved in both the Euclid and SOFIA missions.

Europe’s night sky – a treasure trove of cosmic secrets

A number of other scientific observations are planned during SOFIA’s 10-hour flight. Astronomers from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will be targeting the Serpens South region of the Serpens cloud – a formation
with extremely young stars – from the sky above France. With these three- to four-million-year-old stars, researchers can follow star formation almost from its very inception and find out more about this process. The next observation will focus on
the L 1495 filament in the Taurus Molecular Cloud. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley (USA) want to find out what role the dynamics of magnetic fields play in the formation process of filamentary clouds. “This will be SOFIA’s longest
single observation on its first observation flight in Europe. The journey will begin south of the Swedish coast, over the Baltic Sea, and cross Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, the Adriatic Sea and Italy – almost as far as Sicily,”
says Clemens Plank, Project Engineer for SOFIA at the DLR Space Administration, discussing the flight plan. This has had to be agreed in advance with all the relevant European air traffic authorities.

Young audience on board

Not just scientists will be on board for this exciting expedition. A team from the German children’s television programme ‘Sendung mit der Maus’ (Broadcast with the Mouse) will give the Mouse’s audience insights into SOFIA's research flight in a special
show entitled ‘Telescopes and Infrared Astronomy’. In addition, a winner of the ‘Jugend forscht’ competition for young researchers will fly on board SOFIA during its European premiere.
Jacques :-)

Offline su27k

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #50 on: 04/11/2020 02:47 am »
Is this telescope-on-a-plane worth its pricetag?

Quote
And through a freedom-of-information request, Nature obtained a copy of a scathing review of SOFIA made last year by an independent panel. The report is heavily redacted, but confirms that the observatory falls far short of its goals, including one to produce more than 150 scientific papers per year.

“Certainly, SOFIA has not lived up to its potential,” says Paul Hertz, head of NASA’s astrophysics division in Washington, DC.

That's not even counting the coronavirus pandemic that is upending lives and research around the globe. Because of the coronavirus threat, SOFIA has been grounded since the night of 12-13 March.

Offline jacqmans

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #51 on: 10/01/2020 03:26 pm »
DLR German Aerospace Center, Corporate Communications, Linder Hoehe, 51147 Koeln, Germany - http://www.DLR.de/en/

DLR Press Release, 1 October 2020

DLR / NASA infrared observatory undergoes C check - 'Pit stop' for SOFIA – airborne observatory returns to Hamburg

Full article with images: https://www.dlr.de/content/en/articles/news/2020/04/20201001_sofia-returns-to-hamburg.html

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is making another 'pit stop'. At 19:17 on 30 September 2020, the airborne observatory, which is operated by the US space agency NASA and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), landed at Hamburg Airport. There, it will undergo a routine 'C check' at Lufthansa Technik. During this check, which takes place approximately every three years, the Boeing 747SP will be put through its paces. "We are looking forward to the renewed cooperation with Lufthansa Technik," explains Heinz Hammes, SOFIA Project Manager at the DLR Space Administration. "The special circumstances this year require cooperation and flexibility from all parties involved. We are convinced that we are in the right place for the tasks ahead."

New climate control for the research instruments

During this year's C check, the engine nacelles and cabin, including the panelling and floors, will be dismantled. This is necessary in order to be able to carry out the test and maintenance work and to check all cabling and fuel lines. The air conditioning system will also be upgraded. "This will enable us to adjust the temperature in the cabin very accurately in future," explains Hammes. "This is particularly important in the instrument zone, because every research instrument requires a precise ambient temperature." The final checks at Lufthansa Technik – for example on the engines and cabin pressurisation – are scheduled for mid-December. The maintenance work should be completed by the beginning of February and SOFIA will then be available for new scientific flights.

Maintenance work on telescope and research instrument

The telescope – the German contribution and the heart of the observatory – will also be thoroughly serviced during the stay in Hamburg. This work will be carried out by the German SOFIA Institute (Deutsches SOFIA Institut; DSI), which is based at the University of Stuttgart. This involves more complex work, which is only due every three to six years. However, a large number of smaller, routine measures are also on the to-do list, such as the inspection of the 2.7-metre primary mirror and software updates for the electronic control systems.

This year, one of SOFIA's six scientific instruments has also come to Hamburg. The German REceiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT) will be detached from the telescope and transferred to the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfRA) in Bonn for maintenance and optimisation.

Special safety precautions during the Coronavirus pandemic

All work on the aircraft will be carried out under strict safety measures due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Both Lufthansa Technik and NASA have developed and coordinated comprehensive procedures for working in and on the aircraft. These include the requirement that no more than 15 people may be on board at any one time. This means that only absolutely necessary personnel have access. Due to the long-standing cooperation of all those involved, the work on the aircraft itself is largely routine. "In 2014 and 2017, we experienced an exceptionally good cooperation with our colleagues from DSI, DLR and NASA and we are pleased to be able to continue this now," says Sven Hatje, the Project Manager at Lufthansa Technik responsible for the C check on SOFIA, "It is nice to be able to welcome SOFIA again."

SOFIA

SOFIA is a globally unique airborne observatory that investigates space in the infrared spectrum. For example, the observatory investigates how Milky Way systems develop and how stars and planetary systems are formed from interstellar molecular and dust clouds. This is made possible by a 17-tonne telescope with a mirror diameter of 2.7 metres, developed and manufactured in Germany. SOFIA has six different scientific instruments, two of which come from Germany.

The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), is a joint project of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The German contribution to the project is managed by the DLR Space Administration, using funds provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (Bundesministerium fuer Wirtschaft und Energie, BMWi), the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg and the University of Stuttgart. German scientific operations are coordinated by the German SOFIA Institute (Deutsche SOFIA Institut; DSI) at the University of Stuttgart; US activities are coordinated by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA). Development of the German instruments is funded by the Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft; MPG), the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG) and DLR.
Jacques :-)

Online AnalogMan

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #52 on: 10/01/2020 04:56 pm »
NASA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a recent audit of the SOFIA program:

NASA’s Management of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy Program
https://oig.nasa.gov/docs/IG-20-022.pdf

(copy of pdf also attached)

Here are the opening findings:

What We Found

Although responsible for several first-of-its-kind discoveries, SOFIA’s 13-year development delay reduced the Program’s ability to produce impactful science in a cost-effective manner, particularly when compared to the cost of and science produced by other infrared observatories that launched in the interim. Further, SOFIA has not fully utilized its unique capabilities to serve as an instrument test bed due to high instrument development costs, or to fly anytime anywhere because of a lack of instrument scheduling flexibility, the amount of time necessary to switch out instruments, and the prioritization of observations with greater scientific significance.

SOFIA also continues to experience operational and technical challenges related to flight operations, observation completion, data processing, USRA’s award fees, and instrument development. While SOFIA was designed to fly 960 research (or observation) hours annually, it has yet to achieve this number of hours or dispatch the expected number of scheduled flights, resulting in much less science output than expected.

[... continues]

The lack of clear and achievable performance expectations and lack of concurrence between SMD and SOFIA management on science output goals including publication and citation metrics has reduced productivity and threatens the Program’s future viability. The Program is unlikely to achieve the community’s expectation of 150 publications per year by 2022, or the Program’s goal of 100 annual publications, as it only produced 33 publications in 2019 and the actions proposed to meet this goal fall short of the transformational changes required to address current operational and technical challenges. Further, the proposed actions are unlikely to mitigate SOFIA’s lack of competitiveness because of the Program’s poor efficiency on a science-per-dollar basis when compared to other observatories.
« Last Edit: 10/01/2020 05:00 pm by AnalogMan »

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Offline libra

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #54 on: 10/06/2020 05:56 pm »
Just asking in passing...

Did SOFIA pushed too far (2.7 m telescope on a 747SP) compared to old KAO ?

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #55 on: 10/06/2020 06:10 pm »
SOFIA has been a bit of a hangar queen. Not flying quite as often as planned and being more expensive to operate than was anticipated. The 747SP aircraft was supposed to undergo major maintenance only once every 10 years, but after operations began in 2010 it was grounded in both 2014 and 2017-2018 for extended maintenance. The main base of operations for Sofia is in New Zealand, but the maintenance is done in Germany. So it involves a long trip, lots of coordination and planning, etc. The German space program, DLR, is responsible for the aircraft maintenance and 20% of operating costs. Part of the issue with Sofia in 2018 was that NASA wanted DLR to pay more to help relieve the burden.

But it has produced some good science, and has made some noteworthy observations, for example, it managed to see a star being occulted by 2014 MU69 "Ultima Thule" when ground observatories could not, which allowed New Horizons to more accurately target it.
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Online david1971

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #56 on: 10/06/2020 06:17 pm »
The main base of operations for Sofia is in New Zealand, but the maintenance is done in Germany. So it involves a long trip, lots of coordination and planning, etc.

SOFIA is based out of Southern California, though it spends a chunk of the northern summer in New Zealand.
I flew on SOFIA four times.

Offline Dizzy_RHESSI

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #57 on: 10/07/2020 03:19 pm »
Just asking in passing...

Did SOFIA pushed too far (2.7 m telescope on a 747SP) compared to old KAO ?

Well given that it was over budget by over a factor of 4 and more than a decade behind schedule, I'd say yes. It's certainly an engineering marvel but it's success should be judged on it's scientific output, and it has been a huge flop. It costs as much as HST to operate, but produces just 1/30th of the number of papers. The cost is currently 3 million per paper, even when you ignore the development costs. It's just insane. It clearly hasn't delivered on it's claimed scientific potential. Just look at how few science updates there are on this thread. There are also no signs of how things will improve. One thing missing from this update page is that Sofia's only next generation instrument in development (HIRMES) was cancelled after the project had many problems.

The problem is that now it's become a political entity. NASA science missions are supposed to face Senior Reviews to determine if the are good value for money, to see if they should be extended. However the US congress decided instead that they know better and exempted Sofia from senior reviews for another 15 years (starting in 2018). During that time it will consume another 1.5 billion, which could have been used for something with much better scientific return. Every 2 years spent supporting Sofia is a SMEX that cannot happen.

Sofia should be put back under senior reviews, where it will probably given an ultimatum or just mothballed. The decadal survey midterm review stressed this. I don't think many astronomers would disagree that it's needed. Lobbying and pork barrel politics shouldn't play a role.


Offline libra

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Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #58 on: 10/07/2020 04:11 pm »
Incidentally, why did they picked a 747SP - of all 747 variants ? As far as 747s production runs went, it was a pretty marginal variant, no ?

Wikipedia tells me, only 45 were build. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747SP

Quote
As of June 2020, there were 7 Boeing 747SPs still in active service with 18 more stored and 1 preserved. The remaining 19 were either scrapped, otherwise destroyed or abandoned.[11][verification needed]

 In 2016, the last 747SP in commercial service was withdrawn from service after 40 years by Iran Air.[13][14][15]

As of 2017, the majority of the seven aircraft still in service are used for governmental or VIP transport.

    2 Pratt & Whitney Canada (used as an engine testbed)[16]
    1 Government of Oman
    2 Las Vegas Sands

    1 NASA/DLR (used as the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA)

And from the 747-200 generation, that is, 40 years old tech.

Why not a 747-400 ? or, at worse, a 747-200, as they did for AF1 / E-4B ?

On the positive side, it seems to have some terrific performance, notably range. A truncated and lightened -200 fuselage with the same wings and engines, ceiling, too, must have been pretty impressive.

Maybe that's the reason, why.

Online whitelancer64

Re: SOFIA updates
« Reply #59 on: 10/07/2020 04:25 pm »
Incidentally, why did they picked a 747SP - of all 747 variants ? As far as 747s production runs went, it was a pretty marginal variant, no ?

Wikipedia tells me, only 45 were build. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747SP

Quote
As of June 2020, there were 7 Boeing 747SPs still in active service with 18 more stored and 1 preserved. The remaining 19 were either scrapped, otherwise destroyed or abandoned.[11][verification needed]

 In 2016, the last 747SP in commercial service was withdrawn from service after 40 years by Iran Air.[13][14][15]

As of 2017, the majority of the seven aircraft still in service are used for governmental or VIP transport.

    2 Pratt & Whitney Canada (used as an engine testbed)[16]
    1 Government of Oman
    2 Las Vegas Sands

    1 NASA/DLR (used as the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA)

And from the 747-200 generation, that is, 40 years old tech.

Why not a 747-400 ? or, at worse, a 747-200, as they did for AF1 / E-4B ?

On the positive side, it seems to have some terrific performance, notably range. A truncated and lightened -200 fuselage with the same wings and engines, ceiling, too, must have been pretty impressive.

Maybe that's the reason, why.

Yes, the 747SP is much shorter than a standard 747, the reduced mass of the aircraft results in much greater range. That's certainly a benefit.

However, I would suppose that the shortened body also gives it greater structural stiffness, which is needed since they cut a massive hole in the fuselage for the telescope to look out of.
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