Sofia Observatory Poised For First Missions

By Guy Norris
Palmdale, Calif.

Astronomers will compete for early places on NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia) airborne observatory as the start of science missions nears, following completion of envelope expansion flights with the telescope cavity door open.

“The call for participation has just gone out for basic science,” says Eric Becklin, chief scientist of the ...

---