The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy was a joint mission that placed a 2.5-meter reflecting telescope inside a wide-body aircraft. By flying above 99 percent of the Earth's infrared-blocking water vapor, the flying observatory captured clear images of star-forming regions and planetary atmospheres. Engineers had to design a complex stabilization system to keep the telescope perfectly steady while the aircraft flew at high speeds.
Heard on the job
The stabilization actuators on SOFIA require a full calibration before tonight's observation flight.