Rendezvous with SOFIA
Admittedly, today's story is dedicated to an airplane where you can't actually fly as a normal traveler. As much as you would like to.
But the flying observatory SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) recently arrived for scheduled maintenance at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg in November 2017. The modified Boeing 747SP is a joint project of the American space agency NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and will be there until the end of January 2018.
SOFIA will undergo a C-check in Hamburg, which is the largest maintenance event for an aircraft before a major overhaul. In the case of SOFIA, the special aircraft will be overhauled in accordance with NASA regulations, which have also defined the work packages for this layover. During the check in Hamburg, extensive checks are carried out on the aircraft structure and necessary repairs are made - Connoisseur Circle was invited to a local inspection.
SOFIA has been extensively modified for its scientific mission, including special electronic systems and a telescopic hatch measuring around four by six meters in the fuselage. SOFIA has been located at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California, since the beginning of 2008.
But this Boeing 747SP jumbo is already 40 years old and - thanks to its good maintenance - is set to fly as a flying observatory for another 20 years. SOFIA has completed 78,000 flight hours since it was delivered to Pan Am as a classic commercial aircraft in 1977. And every third day today, the special aircraft takes off on 10-hour missions over North America and the Pacific, or for two months of the year from Christchurch in New Zealand across the southern hemisphere to further explore the world of astronomy.
If you want to know more about it, you can find a recommended video www.youtube.com/watch?v=km2c79_Pqwg&feature=youtu.be"_blank"">here/a>
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