SOFIA's primary mirror assembly is cradled on its dolly as technicians prepare to move it into a "clean room" at NASA Dryden's Aircraft Operations Facility
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
SOFIAStratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomyprimary mirror assembly removalfinal finish coating747SP aircraftGerman-built infrared telescopeDryden Flight Operations FacilityPalmdaleCalif.PolarisNorth StarClipper LindberghGerman-built 100-inch (2.5 meter) diameter infrared telescope20 tonshighly-modified Boeing 747SP aircraftDLR Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (German AerospaceL-3 Communications Integrated SystemsUniversities Space Research AssociationUSRADeutsches SOFIA InstitutDSI
Details
NASA ID
ED08-0041-199
Date Created
April 18, 2008
Center
AFRC
Media Type
image
Photographer
NASA/Tony Landis
Location
AFRC
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Related
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A NASA Technician directs loading of the crated SOFIA primary mirror assembly into a C-17 for shipment to NASA Ames Research Center for finish coating
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Ground crewmen prepare to load the crated SOFIA primary mirror assembly into an Air Force C-17 for shipment to NASA Ames Research Center for finish coating
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Technicians position the transport cradle as a crane lowers SOFIA's primary mirror assembly into place prior to finish coating of the mirror at NASA Ames
Apr 18, 2008