June 1, 2007

Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone 661/276-3449
FAX 661/276-3566

Alan Brown
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
(661) 276-2665
alan.brown@nasa.gov
RELEASE: 07-31P

SOFIA AIRBORNE OBSERVATORY ARRIVES AT NASA DRYDEN

PHOTO RELEASE 07-31P 

NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, has 
arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force 
Base, Calif. The heavily modified Boeing 747SP was ferried to Dryden 
May 31 from Waco, Texas, where L-3 Communications Integrated Systems 
installed a German-built 2.5-meter infrared telescope and made other 
major modifications over the past several years. SOFIA will undergo 
installation and integration of mission systems and a multi-phase 
flight test program at Dryden over the next three years that is 
expected to lead to a full operational capability to conduct 
astronomy missions in about 2010. During its expected 20-year 
lifetime, SOFIA will be capable of "Great Observatory" class 
astronomical science, providing astronomers with access to the 
visible, infrared and sub-millimeter spectrum with optimized 
performance in the mid-infrared to sub-millimeter range. 

<u>PHOTO EDITORS: </u> High-resolution photos to support this release 
are available electronically on the NASA Dryden web site at: 
http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/SOFIA/index.html 

<u>TELEVISION EDITORS: </u> B-roll video and edited interview sound 
bites related to this release will air on NASA TV's media channel 
during the Video File news feeds beginning June 1. NASA TV's Video 
File news feed is broadcast on the agency's Media Channel (Program 
103) at 9 a.m. with replays at noon, 3, 4 and 9 p.m. and 3 and 7 
a.m., all times Pacific. For Video File schedule information visit: 
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv 

<u>RADIO EDITORS: </u> Audio clips from an interview with NASA 
Dryden's SOFIA project manager John Carter are available in MP-3 
format to support this release are available at: 
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/home/07-31P_mm.html 

For more information about NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and its 
research projects, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden on the 
Internet.

	
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