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#20 by Blackstar on 14 May, 2014 01:53
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One can sorta see how this is going to play out. One thing that I don't think has been well-reported is the relative lack of outcry from the U.S. astronomy community. They don't value SOFIA very highly, and if they were asked, they would probably say so. OMB initiated the SOFIA action and if they had thought it out, they might have tried to use that lack of support to better advantage. So if they're serious about killing SOFIA, that's an obvious thing for them to try and do.
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#21 by jacqmans on 03 Jun, 2014 13:57
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June 3, 2014
NASA Begins Testing of New Spectrograph on Agency's Airborne Observatory
Astronomers are eagerly waiting to begin use of a new instrument to study celestial objects: a high-resolution, mid-infrared spectrograph mounted on NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the world's largest flying telescope.
This new instrument, the Echelon-Cross-Echelle Spectrograph (EXES), can separate wavelengths of light to a precision of one part in 100,000. At the core of EXES is an approximately 3-foot (1 meter) bar of aluminum called an echelon grating, carefully machined to act as 130 separate mirrors that split light from the telescope into an infrared "rainbow."
SOFIA is a heavily modified Boeing 747 Special Performance jetliner that carries a telescope with an effective diameter of about 8-feet (2.5-meters) at altitudes of 39,000 to 45,000 feet (12 to 14 km), above more than 99 percent of Earth's atmospheric water vapor. Lower in the atmosphere, at altitudes associated with most ground-based observatories, water vapor obscures much of what can be learned when viewed in the infrared spectrum.
"The combination of EXES's high spectral resolution and SOFIA's access to infrared radiation from space provides an unprecedented ability to study celestial objects at wavelengths unavailable from ground-based telescopes," said Pamela Marcum, a program scientist at the SOFIA Science Center and Program Office in Moffett Field, California. "EXES on SOFIA will provide data that cannot be obtained by any other astronomical facility on the ground or in space, including all past, present or those observatories now under development."
EXES successfully carried out its first two flights on SOFIA on the nights of April 7 and 9, according to Matthew Richter, leader of the team that is developing the instrument at the University of California, Davis, Physics Department. EXES is a collaboration between U.C. Davis and NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field.
"During the two flights, EXES made observations to investigate and characterize the instrument's performance. All the main goals of these observations were successful, although further commissioning flights are required to test EXES in all of its modes," said Richter.
On the first commissioning flight, EXES observed emissions from Jupiter's atmosphere in two molecular hydrogen lines. These observations will be used to understand how gas rises from deep in Jupiter's interior and mixes into the planet's upper atmosphere.
During the second commissioning flight, EXES observed a young, massive star in the constellation Cygnus that is still embedded in its natal cocoon. The star, known as AFGL 2591, warms up the surrounding interstellar dust and causes ice coatings on the dust to evaporate. The warmed dust provides an excellent background infrared "lamp" to probe the chemical make-up of the intervening gas.
New stars and planets are forming from that material through processes similar to the ones that made the sun and Earth. These observations are designed to study water vapor around the protostar, and demonstrate that EXES can detect absorption from the lowest energy level of water molecules despite interference from water vapor from Earth's atmosphere.
"Of the observations obtained during the instrument's first flights, only one can be done from the ground, albeit with some difficulty, and the others are impossible from even the best ground-based telescope sites because the water in Earth's atmosphere is opaque at these wavelengths," Richter said. "While space observatories are above Earth's atmosphere, the massive optical equipment required to separate the light as finely as EXES does – EXES weighs almost 1,000 pounds – would be a challenge to launch into space. In these observations, the spectral features we are studying are narrow, and finely dividing the infrared spectrum to detect them is exactly what EXES was designed to do."
SOFIA is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The aircraft is based at and the program is managed from NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center's facility in Palmdale, California. NASA's Ames Research Center, manages the SOFIA science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, and the German SOFIA Institute (DSI) at the University of Stuttgart.
For more information about SOFIA, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/sofia
or
http://www.dlr.de/en/sofia
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#22 by AnalogMan on 03 Jun, 2014 14:39
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I didn't see this reported at the time, but the House Report to accompany H.R. 4660 (Commerce, Justic, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill , 2015) made the following comment on SOFIA (page 71):
"The Committee does not accept NASA’s request to terminate support for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a project that is currently producing good science and has not been proposed for termination by NASA’s internal or external scientific review boards. Instead, the recommendation provides $70,000,000 for SOFIA, which should be sufficient to support the aircraft’s fixed costs (flight crews, required maintenance, etc.) as well as a base level of scientific observations. NASA shall continue seeking third-party partners whose additional funding support would restore SOFIA’s budget to its full operational level."
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-113hrpt448/pdf/CRPT-113hrpt448-pt1.pdf -
#23 by bolun on 21 Jun, 2014 09:28
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Super-Earth or mini-Neptune? Planetary researcher uses SOFIA to observe exoplanet transit
http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10252/356_read-10712/#gallery/15230 -
#24 by jacqmans on 28 Jun, 2014 15:43
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Press release, 28 June 2014
The SOFIA airborne observatory has landed in Hamburg
Full article with images:
http://www.dlr.de/dlr/presse/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10172/213_read-10778/year-all/#/gallery/15435
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a modified Boeing 747SP, is a joint project of the US Space Agency, NASA, and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und
Raumfahrt; DLR). It is normally stationed at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, but at 08:44 CEST on Saturday, 28 June 2014, it landed at Hamburg Airport. From now until the beginning
of November, both the aircraft and its telescope will be undergoing extensive maintenance at the Hamburg facilities of Lufthansa Technik. "This is how DLR will fulfil part of its 20 percent contribution
towards the operating costs of the observatory," explains Alois Himmes, the SOFIA Project Manager at DLR.
DLR and NASA have selected Lufthansa Technik for the overhaul of the aircraft because they have the world's longest and most extensive experience with maintaining aircraft of this type. "There were 45
Boeing 747SPs built, 18 of which are still in use. Boeing itself, however, no longer supports this aircraft type," Himmes adds. US-based companies with a license for extensive maintenance and repair do
not have comparable experience. The previous US operators of this aircraft, Pan Am, who brought the aircraft into service as 'Clipper Lindbergh' in 1977, and United Airlines, who purchased the plane in
1986, also no longer perform maintenance on this type of aircraft, and, as they are no longer operating the 747SP, they have let their licenses lapse. The 747SP – 'SP' stands for 'Special Performance'
– has a much shorter fuselage but the same power; these aircraft can therefore fly significantly higher than other versions, at altitudes of up to between 12 and 14 kilometres.
Observatory can detect infrared radiation and study how stars are formed
Now, the old 'Jumbo' performs pioneering work again; SOFIA is a globally unique airborne observatory, which, since 2010, has made around 90 scientific flights to study, among other things, the development
of galaxies and how stars and planetary systems are formed from molecular and dust clouds.
Installed in the fuselage is a 17-ton telescope, developed in Germany and commissioned by the DLR Space Administration, with a mirror diameter of 2.7 metres. A total of six scientific instruments are
currently in use, including the GREAT spectrometer and FIFI-LS, which are operated by German scientists. "In contrast to space observatories, continuously improved or even newly developed instruments
can be used and the latest technology can be implemented on SOFIA. This airborne observatory performs almost like a space observatory, but it returns to Earth after each flight," Himmes elaborates. Because
SOFIA flies in the stratosphere, above the water vapour in the atmosphere, it can observe infrared radiation with virtually no losses. Ground-based telescopes are not able to measure this radiation from
space, as the water vapour blocks most of the infrared radiation.
The telescope will also be maintained
The German SOFIA Institute (Deutsche SOFIA Institut; DSI) at the University of Stuttgart has been charged with the coordination of the DLR operating contribution. While the aircraft is undergoing its
overhaul in Hamburg, DSI personnel will take the opportunity to also perform thorough maintenance on the telescope. "We will replace worn parts and improve its functionality," says DSI Director Thomas
Keilig. "We certainly look forward to a fruitful cooperation with our Lufthansa Technik colleagues." Although the aircraft is on the ground, the scientific work will not stop; 18 July 2014 is the deadline
for applications for astronomical observation time during the third science cycle, scheduled to begin in March 2015. In parallel, the data from science flights conducted in 2013 are being evaluated and
submitted for publication. The results from the first observation cycle in 2011 have already been extensively published.
Numerous special features
For Lufthansa Technik, this task is somewhat unusual: "Because SOFIA is not a commercial airliner, but an airborne observatory, there are special operations involved, as well as routine procedures," says
Sven Hatje, the Project Manager responsible for the SOFIA overhaul programme. In five phases – arrival, inspection, modification, installation and acceptance – the engineers will place SOFIA 'under the
microscope' over the coming months. The specifications of the aircraft also influence its treatment in the maintenance facility: "We must, for example, first lift SOFIA to a height of six metres to replace
the landing gear. The rear of the aircraft is, with its weight of 48 tons, too heavy for conventional lifting methods. This is why we will have to jack SOFIA up with five instead of three lifters. For
this, we have to obtain a special permit." In addition, the research aircraft not only has modified cockpit electronics and very extensive additional electronic systems, but also – and this is really
unique – a roughly four by six metre door in the fuselage, which opens when the telescope is performing observations.
Looking to the future, Eddie Zavala, SOFIA Program Manager at NASA says: "On May 29, 2014, we formally completed the development phase and NASA declared SOFIA fully operational. After the overhaul here
in Hamburg, SOFIA will be resuming operations in 2015 with approximately 100 planned observation flights per year for many years to come and it will be a unique scientific tool for infrared astronomers."
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#25 by AnalogMan on 09 Jul, 2014 23:31
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NASA's Office of Inspector General has just published an Audit report on SOFIA.
SOFIA: NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
Audit Report OIG-14-022 July 9, 2014
Overview
In February 2014, NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) reached full operational capability (FOC) after a problematic 23-year development history and a cost of $1.1 billion – more than 300 percent over original estimates (see Figure 1).1 The SOFIA Program’s $3 billion life-cycle cost estimate, which includes a planned 20-year operational life and annual operating costs of approximately $80 million (equating to an annual operating cost of about $104,000 per planned research flight hour), makes it one of the most expensive programs in NASA’s science portfolio.2 While the Program achieved FOC ahead of schedule (per the latest replan) and SOFIA has recently begun to collect science data, maintaining user interest is critical to the Program’s viability for the next 20 years.3 More pressing for the Program is the uncertainty caused by the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2015 budget proposal that would place SOFIA in storage for an undefined period unless NASA identifies partners to help subsidize operating costs.4
[…]
Given SOFIA’s troubled development history and projected $2 billion in operational costs over the next 20 years, we assessed whether NASA is adequately managing the Program to ensure long-term demand for and viability of the observatory. Our audit work included reviewing SOFIA Program policies and procedures, interviewing Program officials, and observing a science flight.9 We also interviewed scientists who have used SOFIA to conduct research, as well as scientists whose proposals were not selected for a flight. Details of the audit’s scope and methodology are in Appendix A.
Results
• If Continued, the SOFIA Program Faces Challenges to Ensure the Best Possible Return on Investment
• Organizational Structure Does Not Provide Adequate Oversight of Mission Critical Functions
• Uncertainty Surrounding SOFIA’s Future Funding has Immediate Ramifications on the Program
[and on the last point notes the following … ]
"The President’s FY 2015 budget proposal for NASA would sharply reduce funding for SOFIA and place the observatory in storage unless partners help subsidize NASA’s share of the Program’s $80 million annual operating costs. In contrast, the full House of Representatives approved $70 million and the Senate Committee on Appropriations proposed $87 million for SOFIA in FY 2015. In this period of uncertainty, the Program must address a series of immediate challenges, including whether and how to plan for a Program shutdown and possible reactivation, how to retain key staff, and whether to move forward with planned research and maintenance activities."
http://oig.nasa.gov/audits/reports/FY14/IG-14-022.pdf
(copy also attached)
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#26 by woods170 on 10 Jul, 2014 08:14
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I knew Sofia was over-budget. But it is actually 300% over budget? In other words: to come to the point where it is today (FOC) it cost four times the amount originally estimated? Ouch...
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#27 by catdlr on 01 Aug, 2014 00:32
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SOFIA Observatory Hosts Oregon, Washington Educators
Published on Jul 31, 2014
Kim Abegglen and Anna-Melissa Lyons from Hockinson Middle School, Vancouver, Washington, Robert Black from North Medford High School and Dave Bloomsness from the Southern Oregon Skywatchers, Medford, Oregon, flew on board NASA's Stratospheric observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) in May 2014. The educators observed SOFIA scientists studying star forming regions and a unique stellar merger during the flight. Follow along as they see infrared astronomy in action.
In 2014, 12 two-person teams were competitively selected for SOFIA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program, representing teachers from 10 states. After their flight opportunities, Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors will take what they learn back to their classrooms and into their communities to promote science literacy.
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#28 by AnalogMan on 05 Sep, 2014 18:36
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Recent update on SOFIA Science to the NASA Advisory Committee (NAC) Astrophysics Subcommittee on August 12, 2014.
http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2014/09/02/APS-SOFIA-Aug2014-PMarcum-FINTAGGED.pdf
(copy also attached)
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#29 by jacqmans on 19 Nov, 2014 15:58
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Press release, 19 November 2014
Age of star nursery precisely determined for the first time - SOFIA airborne observatory helps with accurate dating
How long does it take for a star to be born? To date, only this much has been clear: longer than there have been humans on Earth with the technology to observe it. But the precise age of a star-forming cloud has now been determined by a team under
the leadership of scientists at the University of Cologne using the GREAT spectrometer on board the SOFIA airborne observatory. SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, is operated jointly by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches
Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the US space agency NASA. The results of the research conducted have now been published in the scientific journal Nature.
For their research, the scientists studied the IRAS 16293-2422 star-forming region, which is around 400 light years from Earth, in the constellation of Ophiuchus. The astonishing result is that the age of star-forming dense cores is of at least one
million years – much longer than previous theories suggested. This model must now be verified. "Life as we know it is closely linked to the formation of stars and planetary systems. Hence, the exact processes involved in star formation are of fundamental
importance in the investigation of the development of life on Earth," says Alois Himmes, DLR SOFIA project leader. "With its modern instruments, SOFIA has the best resources for making more ground-breaking discoveries in the coming years."
Hydrogen molecules act as 'chemical clock'
To determine the age of the interstellar cloud cores, the researchers used a new method in which they combined data from the GREAT receiver (German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies) on SOFIA with that from the APEX telescope in Chile.
In doing so, they used various forms of hydrogen as timepieces. Specifically, hydrogen was observed in the form of ortho and para H2D+ ions to do this. The ratio of these two variants to each other changes in a characteristic way as the period of star
birth varies. This means that the scientists can read the concentration of molecules as a kind of chemical clock.
APEX provided the data on the ortho hydrogen, and GREAT recorded the spectral lines of the para hydrogen variant. The latter is particularly hard to measure on Earth as the atmosphere almost completely absorbs this radiation: "It was only possible
to detect the first clear evidence thanks to the unique qualities of our GREAT instrument on board the SOFIA airborne observatory," says Juergen Stutzki, whose research department at the University of Cologne made a significant contribution to the
construction of GREAT.
The research work, in which scientists from the University of Helsinki and the Max Planck Institutes for Radio Astronomy in Bonn and Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching participated, was published in the online edition of Nature on 17 November 2014
(the print version comes out on December 4).
SOFIA
SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, is a joint project operated by 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 DLR, using funds provided by the Federal Ministry for Economics Affairs and Energy (Bundesministerium fuer Wirtschaft und Energie), in accordance with a decision made by the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag), and funds
from the State of Baden-Württemberg and the University of Stuttgart. The scientific operations are coordinated by the German SOFIA Institute (Deutsche SOFIA Institut; DSI) on the German side, and by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA)
on the American side. Development of the German instruments is financed using funds from the Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft; MPG) and the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; DFG).
GREAT
GREAT, the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, is a receiver for spectroscopic observations in the far-infrared spectral regime at frequencies between 1.2 and 5 terahertz (60–220 microns), which are not accessible from the ground
due to absorption by water vapour. GREAT is one of two first generation German instruments for SOFIA developed by the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) and the University of Cologne, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for
Solar System Research and the DLR Institute of Planetary Research. Rolf Güsten (MPIfR) is the project manager for GREAT. The development of the instrument was financed by the participating institutes, the Max Planck Society, the German Research Foundation
(Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; DFG) and DLR. -
#30 by sghill on 15 Dec, 2014 14:51
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SOFIA Lives!
From Space.com's reporting.
"NASA's astrophysics program won a $77.5 million increase, to $684.8 million, in the omnibus bill. That includes $70 million for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, an airborne telescope for which NASA requested only $12 million. NASA had planned to mothball the flying observatory in 2015 if it could not find partners to fund the telescope's annual operating cost of about $85 million."From press release, 28 June 2014
The 747SP – 'SP' stands for 'Special Performance'
– has a much shorter fuselage but the same power; these aircraft can therefore fly significantly higher than other versions, at altitudes of up to between 12 and 14 kilometres.
BTW, I saw a 747 SP sitting on the ramp in Johannesburg back in 2007. It was a "WTF is THAT?!?" moment when I saw this all white 747 which was obviously suffering from dwarfism...
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#31 by Star One on 15 Dec, 2014 18:56
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I think the program's days are numbered. From what I hear, there is very little support for SOFIA within the astronomy community. It doesn't do much science, what it does is not high value, and it costs a lot of money. Keeping a big four-engine jet flying requires a lot of people and fuel, and that's an expense that other observatories don't have.
If that's the case what was the point of the program in the first place. Someone at some point must have thought it was a worthwhile idea.
The primary problem this time has been that the administration simply tried to kill it without: A-explaining why they wanted to kill it, and B-getting community support for their action.* There are ways to do both of those things and it would not surprise me to see them make that effort soon. It may take a few years in the meantime to do that.
*This kinda stuff happens all the time. Somebody, maybe NASA, maybe the White House, simply decides to do something and never bothers to actually set the stage. They think that they don't need to explain what they're doing or seek allies for their actions. Look at the 2010 rollout of the FY2011 budget which killed Constellation, Orion, Ares I and V, etc. They found themselves scrambling after the fact to try and explain what they were trying to achieve, and by that time they didn't really have any allies, only enemies. It's just rather amazing that this keeps happening. The steps are simple: have somebody (like the president) give a speech, issue a white paper explaining the policy, and maybe commission a study that will hopefully support your actions. Prepare the battlefield before you open fire. -
#32 by baldusi on 15 Dec, 2014 20:28
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May be it was totally over budget, may be the ones that thought this was worthwhile were not final users.I think the program's days are numbered. From what I hear, there is very little support for SOFIA within the astronomy community. It doesn't do much science, what it does is not high value, and it costs a lot of money. Keeping a big four-engine jet flying requires a lot of people and fuel, and that's an expense that other observatories don't have. [...]
If that's the case what was the point of the program in the first place. Someone at some point must have thought it was a worthwhile idea. -
#33 by Blackstar on 15 Dec, 2014 20:32
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If that's the case what was the point of the program in the first place. Someone at some point must have thought it was a worthwhile idea.
It took too long to get into service. Other systems have passed it by. If it had flown when it was originally supposed to fly, it would have performed science that no other mission was doing. That's not the case anymore. Look up the original planned operational date and compare to what we got.
Plus--and this is a more subtle and complex point--you have to look at these systems in terms of how they fit into a much bigger portfolio. They cannot be evaluated in isolation. Other things might be more important, or more productive.
EDIT: Let me add a bit to that last point. NASA is spending approximately $70 million a year on SOFIA. The question that has to be asked and answered is if that money could be more productively spent on something else. Could another telescope project produce much more valuable science for that $70 million? I think that if you polled a bunch of astronomers the answer would probably be yes. I don't have great information to back that up, but it's the sense that I've gotten. -
#34 by jacqmans on 16 Dec, 2014 14:20
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Sofia departs Hamburg airport on December 14
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#35 by jacqmans on 19 Mar, 2015 18:53
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March 19, 2015
NASA’s SOFIA Finds Missing Link Between Supernovae and Planet Formation
Using NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), an international scientific team discovered that supernovae are capable of producing a substantial amount of the material from which planets like Earth can form.
These findings are published in the March 19 online issue of Science magazine.
"Our observations reveal a particular cloud produced by a supernova explosion 10,000 years ago contains enough dust to make 7,000 Earths," said Ryan Lau of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
The research team, headed by Lau, used SOFIA's airborne telescope and the Faint Object InfraRed Camera for the SOFIA Telescope, FORCAST, to take detailed infrared images of an interstellar dust cloud known as Supernova Remnant Sagittarius A East, or SNR Sgr A East.
The team used SOFIA data to estimate the total mass of dust in the cloud from the intensity of its emission. The investigation required measurements at long infrared wavelengths in order to peer through intervening interstellar clouds and detect the radiation emitted by the supernova dust.
Astronomers already had evidence that a supernova’s outward-moving shock wave can produce significant amounts of dust. Until now, a key question was whether the new soot- and sand-like dust particles would survive the subsequent inward “rebound” shock wave generated when the first, outward-moving shock wave collides with surrounding interstellar gas and dust.
"The dust survived the later onslaught of shock waves from the supernova explosion, and is now flowing into the interstellar medium where it can become part of the 'seed material' for new stars and planets," Lau explained.
These results also reveal the possibility that the vast amount of dust observed in distant young galaxies may have been made by supernova explosions of early massive stars, as no other known mechanism could have produced nearly as much dust.
"This discovery is a special feather in the cap for SOFIA, demonstrating how observations made within our own Milky Way galaxy can bear directly on our understanding of the evolution of galaxies billions of light years away," said Pamela Marcum, a SOFIA project scientist at Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.
SOFIA is a heavily modified Boeing 747 Special Performance jetliner that carries a telescope with an effective diameter of 100 inches (2.5 meters) at altitudes of 39,000 to 45,000 feet (12 to 14 km). SOFIA is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center. The aircraft observatory is based at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center facility in Palmdale, California. The agency’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, is home to the SOFIA Science Center, which is managed by NASA in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association in Columbia, Maryland, and the German SOFIA Institute at the University of Stuttgart.
For more information about SOFIA, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/sofia
or
http://www.dlr.de/en/sofia
For information about SOFIA's science mission and scientific instruments, visit:
http://www.sofia.usra.edu
or
http://www.dsi.uni-stuttgart.de/index.en.html
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#36 by jacqmans on 05 Jun, 2015 07:45
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Press release, 4 June 2015
upGREAT – a new far-infrared spectrometer for SOFIA
Full article with images:
http://www.dlr.de/dlr/presse/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10172/213_read-13794/year-all/#/gallery/19610
The upgraded far-infrared spectrometer upGREAT has successfully completed its first deployment on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a joint project between the US Space Agency NASA and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches
Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR). During four commissioning flights from its home base in Palmdale, California, conducted between 13 and 22 May 2015, upGREAT showed unprecedented efficiency in analysing the origins of carbon radiation from interstellar
gas and dust clouds. "We are delighted with the quality of the measurements," says upGREAT Project Manager Christophe Risacher from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR), adding: "Although the main purpose was to use a variety of test
measurements to complete commissioning, these initial observations will give us a wealth of new insight into stellar evolution."
upGREAT is an enhanced version of the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT), a far-infrared spectrometer that has successfully completed 50 scientific flights on board SOFIA since 2011. The instrument was developed and built
by a consortium of German research institutes – MPIfR in Bonn and the Kölner Observatorium fuer SubMillimeter Astronomie (KOSMA) in Cologne – in collaboration with the DLR Institute of Planetary Research in Berlin. But upGREAT now operates 14 – not
just one - detectors simultaneously. These are spread over two arrays – each holding seven detectors whose sensitivity has also been enhanced by approximately 30 percent. "Although only four years have passed since GREAT's first mission, upGREAT delivers
an observational efficiency that is approximately 20 times greater. This clearly demonstrates the immense development potential for airborne observatories in comparison to space telescopes, whose instruments cannot be replaced in most cases," explains
DLR SOFIA Project Manager Alois Himmes. But the development comes at a price; the detectors must be operated at extremely low temperatures – just a few degrees above absolute zero. While it only took a single cryostat filled with liquid helium to operate
a single detector for 24 hours, this is not feasible with 14 detectors. For this reason, upGREAT is using cryocoolers for the first time; their operating principle is quite similar to ordinary refrigerators. Developed and integrated into the aircraft
in recent months by engineers at NASA, the GREAT team and German SOFIA Institute, this system worked perfectly on its first mission.
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#37 by jacqmans on 19 Jun, 2015 13:29
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Press release, 19 June 2015
SOFIA starts science flights in New Zealand - DLR and NASA's airborne observatory on an observation mission in the southern hemisphere
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a joint project between the US space agency NASA and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), started the first observation flight of this
year's New Zealand campaign on 19 June 2015 at 09:20 CEST (19:20 local time). Over the coming five weeks, SOFIA will conduct 14 research flights using the US Faint Object Infrared Camera for the SOFIA telescope (FORCAST) and the German
Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT), a far-infrared spectrometer. The scientists will focus mainly on star-forming regions in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and the Milky Way. Together with two other instruments
and one of the camera viewfinders of the telescope, a stellar occultation by the dwarf planet Pluto will also be observed.
The airborne observatory departed from its home base in Palmdale, California, on 12 June, heading for Hawaii, where the aircraft made a four-hour stopover to refuel and switch the flight crew. The scientists on board made good use of the
seven-hour night flight, employing the FORCAST instrument to observe gas and dust clouds in the galactic centre – at the heart of the Milky Way. The flight from Honolulu to Christchurch took another 10 hours. On arrival, a group of excited
plane spotters had already gathered to welcome SOFIA. An over 100-strong team, including scientists, pilots, a maintenance crew and telescope operators, will be responsible for conducting the measurement campaign, which is scheduled to
run until 20 July.
SOFIA and the New Horizons spacecraft on the track of Pluto
To ensure that this SOFIA mission proves as successful as its predecessors, it has received some 'help from above'. A representative from the Māori Ngāi Tahu tribe brought a blessing from New Zealand's indigenous population for a successful
outcome of this year's campaign. This year's operations will be particularly exciting; in the early morning of 29 June, at around 05:00 local time, a stellar occultation by the dwarf planet Pluto will be observed. The First Light Infrared
TEst CAMera (FLITECAM), the High Speed Imaging Photometer for Occultations (HIPO) and one of the telescope's acquisition/guidance/tracking cameras (the Focal Plane Imager [FPI]) will observe how the light from a background star is diminished
as the occultation occurs and then increases again. This will allow the scientists to draw conclusions about the atmosphere of Pluto. However, for this purpose, excellent timing is required, because the shadow of Pluto will only be approximately
2000 kilometres across and will be moving across the South Pacific at 80,000 kilometres per hour.
The fact that the NASA New Horizons spacecraft will pass Pluto at a distance of approximately 12,000 kilometres just two weeks later, on 14 July, adds a particular touch of interest to observing this phenomenon. New Horizons will employ
a number of instruments to inspect Pluto close-up for the first time. These rather short observations of the dwarf planet will be included in the long-term research into Pluto’s atmosphere, along with the data that will be acquired by
SOFIA.
Following the exciting Pluto occultation, SOFIA will initially continue its astronomical observations with FORCAST. Afterwards, the team will use the final two weeks of the mission to deploy the GREAT spectrometer developed by scientists
at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn. Here, as in its July 2013 mission, SOFIA will exploit the long winter nights in New Zealand and the low concentration of atmospheric water vapour found at this time of the year to
conduct its observations. Even the tiniest quantities of airborne water vapour absorb a portion of the infrared radiation entering the atmosphere from space. This is also the reason why the analyses are conducted from an aircraft travelling
at an altitude of around 14 kilometres, where the atmospheric water vapour content above it is substantially lower than on the ground.
During the research flights, the scientists will place particular focus on the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. These two 'dwarf galaxies' – immediate neighbours of the Milky Way – can only be observed from the southern hemisphere. The
star-forming regions are located approximately 200,000 light years from Earth. The scientists can use their infrared instruments to observe the entire cycle of stellar birth at this distance. Their aim is to add to the data they collected
during the first New Zealand mission in 2013 and to analyse further celestial regions. The mission is being supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), which bases its Antarctic Research Programme at Christchurch Airport and
has generously allowed SOFIA to make use of its infrastructure. SOFIA is scheduled to return to Palmdale on 24 July, following another stopover in Hawaii.
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#38 by Star One on 17 Sep, 2015 21:16
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Nichelle Nichols onboard a recent flight of SOFIA.
http://www.blastr.com/2015-9-17/image-day-nichelle-nichols-takes-skies-nasa-mission -
#39 by jacqmans on 03 Jun, 2016 06:21
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Press release, 2 June 2016
SOFIA airborne observatory – NASA and DLR extend cooperation agreement at ILA
The SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) airborne observatory – a joint venture between the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
NASA – explores the evolution of galaxies using the telescope. Since 2011, the hatch of the modified Boeing 747SP has been opened 250 times to observe the night sky. The numerous 10-hour-long flights have been so prosperous that DLR and NASA have extended
SOFIA's service life – initially until the end of 2020. The agreement was signed on 2 June 2016 by the Chair of the DLR Executive Board, Pascale Ehrenfreund, Gerd Gruppe, Member of the DLR Executive Board responsible for the Space Administration, and
Dava Newman, Deputy Administrator of NASA, at the ILA Berlin Air Show.
SOFIA – a classic example of German-US collaboration
"SOFIA is a classic example of the many years of successful collaboration between NASA and DLR in the field of space exploration research," said Ehrenfreund during the signing in Berlin. "We're pleased to be making this globally unique observatory
available to astronomers for their research for an initial period of four more years," added Gruppe. The extension of the agreement is also a milestone for NASA: "SOFIA's unique capabilities for observing the universe in the mid and far infrared will
be unparalleled for many years to come. The breakthrough science from this one-of-a-kind flying observatory will help unravel the mysteries of our cosmos, and complement the discoveries of the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope," said Newman.
Fit for duty until 2030
The airborne observatory measures the thermal emission from space that is not visible from Earth. Its observations therefore focus on the evolution of galaxies – in particular, the Milky Way. SOFIA mainly explores molecular and dust clouds in galaxies,
where new stars and planetary systems are formed. The airborne observatory has therefore been designed – and regularly maintained – to ensure its missions until 2030. Its measuring instruments are also continuously being enhanced and/or replaced by
modern, more efficient versions. Based on regular reviews of the scientific results, NASA and DLR will decide on a further service life extension from 2018.
German research set to continue
The collaboration and allocation of responsibilities between the two partners is managed by means of a cooperation agreement – a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The original MoU concluded at the end of 1996 for a period of 10 years, to manage the
development and construction of the infrared telescope by DLR, and its installation in the Boeing 747SP modified by NASA. In late 2006, the MoU was extended for another 10 years, to cover the intensive test phase and initial scientific observations.
In addition to providing the telescope, Germany also has a 20 percent share in the operation of the observatory – 20 percent of the observation time is therefore allocated to scientists from German research institutes. Scientists now have a total of
seven measuring instruments at their disposal, including cameras and spectrometers; their use in the institutes is also financed by funding from NASA and DLR. German scientists can now continue to use this technology and carry on exploring the evolution
of galaxies until 2020 and beyond.
SOFIA
The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), is a joint project operated by 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), the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg and the University of Stuttgart.
Development of the German instruments is financed using funds from the Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft; MPG), the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; DFG) and DLR. The scientific operations are coordinated by the
German SOFIA Institute (Deutsche SOFIA Institut; DSI) at the University of Stuttgart on the German side, and by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) on the American side.