NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, has returned from an extended maintenance period and will resume science flights on May 22.
The May 22 mission will be a 10-hour, overnight flight where SOFIA will observe a number of celestial objects including an area of dense gas in the constellation Sagittarius. Researchers will also study the material remaining after a supernova explosion to better understand how these cataclysmic events impact the surrounding area and if these interactions form cosmic rays.
Following science missions on May 22 and 23, SOFIA will next deploy to Christchurch, New Zealand, on June 1, to investigate science targets best observed from the southern hemisphere.
Media Point of Contact
Nicholas A. Veronico
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