Technicians with ropes carefully guide the primary mirror assembly as a crane slowly moves it toward its transport cradle after removal from the SOFIA aircraft
Technicians at the NASA Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., removed the German-built primary mirror assembly from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, April 18, 2008 in preparation for the final finish coating of the mirror. A precision crane lifted the more than two-ton mirror assembly from its cavity in the rear fuselage of the highly modified Boeing 747SP. The assembly was then secured in its transport dolly and moved to a clean room where it was prepared for shipment to NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field near Mountain View, Calif. where it would receive its aluminized finish coating before being re-installed in the SOFIA aircraft.
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Keywords
Details
NASA ID
ED08-0041-171
Date Created
April 18, 2008
Center
AFRC
Media Type
image
Photographer
NASA/Tony Landis
Location
AFRC
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