Tue, May 22, 2007
Modified Pan Am 747 Carries Its Original Name -- "Clipper
Lindbergh"
NASA dedicated a unique astronomy aircraft Monday to pioneering
aviator Charles Lindbergh on the 80th anniversary of his historic
transatlantic flight. Erik Lindbergh, the pilot's grandson, joined
NASA for the event May 21, in Waco, TX.
NASA's new Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
(SOFIA) is a highly modified 747 airliner that carries a
45,000-pound infrared telescope system. Pan American Airways
originally christened the plane the "Clipper Lindbergh" in 1977. At
the rededication ceremony, NASA officials discussed the
similarities between Lindbergh's accomplishments and SOFIA's
potential to capture scientifically important infrared images
unavailable to earthbound telescopes.
The SOFIA aircraft was modified at L-3 Systems in Waco and is
wrapping up a series of functional checkout flights before heading
to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, CA
for further tests and systems integration.
Erik Lindbergh unveiled a plaque commemorating Clipper
Lindbergh. "This project is a fantastic blend of a 20th century
legacy aircraft and a 21st century platform for exploration," he
said.
Intended to fly above 40,000 feet, SOFIA will place its infrared
telescope above nearly 99 percent of the Earth's atmospheric water
vapor, greatly enhancing its abilities to study the cosmos. Its
state-of-the-art telescope will be able to carry out scientific
missions with greater flexibility and ease of upgrade than a
satellite-borne observatory.
NASA's partner in SOFIA is the German Aerospace Center, which
provided the telescope. NASA modified the aircraft. A 16-foot-high
opening has been cut into the aft fuselage to permit observations
to be made at altitude. Once it arrives at Dryden, SOFIA will
continue flight and systems testing for about two years while its
observatory system hardware and software are integrated with the
aircraft. The telescope's first images are expected in 2009.
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