Astronomy at 41,000+ Feet:Astronomy at 41,000+ Feet:The Story of the SOFIA MissionThe Story of the SOFIA Mission

((Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy)Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy)

Dana BackmanSOFIA Education & Public Outreach,

USRA & the SETI Institute

OutlineOutline

Background info about infrared astronomyBackground info about infrared astronomy The SOFIA ProgramThe SOFIA Program

• AircraftAircraft• TelescopeTelescope• Putting it TogetherPutting it Together• Testing ItTesting It

Education & Public OutreachEducation & Public Outreach

William HerschelWilliam Herschel

Discovery of Infrared Radiation - 1800

All the types of “electromagnetic radiation” …All the types of “electromagnetic radiation” …

Making Light of it All!

Temperature determines theTemperature determines themain type of radiation emitted …main type of radiation emitted …

(left to right: Compton, Chandra, Hubble, and Spitzer space observatories)

Getting the WHOLE pictureGetting the WHOLE picture

Constellation OrionConstellation Orionleft: view at visual wavelengthsleft: view at visual wavelengths

right: far-infrared viewright: far-infrared view

An object can look radically different depending An object can look radically different depending on the type of light collected from it:on the type of light collected from it:

But there’s a problem...But there’s a problem...

Earth’s atmospheric Earth’s atmospheric water vapor absorbs water vapor absorbs almost all incoming almost all incoming infrared radiationinfrared radiation

Even mountain-top Even mountain-top observatories get a observatories get a limited view of the limited view of the infrared universeinfrared universe

View of troposphere / stratosphere View of troposphere / stratosphere boundary from aboveboundary from above

And a Solution...And a Solution...

High-flying aircraft --High-flying aircraft --above 40,000 ft -- above 40,000 ft -- can observe most of can observe most of the infrared universethe infrared universe

Airborne infrared Airborne infrared telescopes can be telescopes can be more versatile -- more versatile -- and much less and much less expensive -- expensive -- than space infrared than space infrared telescopestelescopes

NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) C-141 with a 36-inch telescope onboard, based at NASA-Ames near San Francisco, flew from 1975 - 1996

,

SOFIA--The Next GenerationSOFIA--The Next GenerationAirborne ObservatoryAirborne Observatory

• 2.5-meter (100-inch) telescope in a Boeing 747SP

• To be based at NASA-Dryden, with scientific mission center at NASA-Ames

• 140 8-hour research flights per year; 20 year lifetime• 20% share with the German space agency DLR • The world’s largest portable telescope !• Useful for both visible and infrared research• 1+ month per year in southern hemisphere• First test flights in ‘07, first science in ‘09

The Aircraft - “Clipper Lindbergh”The Aircraft - “Clipper Lindbergh”

SOFIA — The ObservatorySOFIA — The Observatory open cavity (door not shown)

TELESCOPE

pressure bulkhead

scientific instrument (1 of 9)

scientist stations, telescope and instrument control, etc.

Educators work station

Inside, looking aftInside, looking aft

The TelescopeThe Telescope

The Telescope Primary MirrorThe Telescope Primary Mirror

Counter Weight

Primary Mirror M1

M2

M3-1

M3-2Focal Plane

Focal Plane Imager

Major Telescope ComponentsMajor Telescope ComponentsCameras

Focal Plane Imager

Science Instrument

Hydraulic System Motors Breaks

Bearing Sphere

Forward Bulkhead

Vibration Isolation

Putting it together -Putting it together -L-3 Communications Integrated Systems,L-3 Communications Integrated Systems,

Waco, TXWaco, TX

Testing It - Observing Polaris with telescopeTesting It - Observing Polaris with telescopeand scientific instrument - August ‘04and scientific instrument - August ‘04

Testing It - inside the cabinTesting It - inside the cabinduring Polaris observationsduring Polaris observations

One of SOFIA’s 9 scientific instruments that are being built at One of SOFIA’s 9 scientific instruments that are being built at universities and research institutes in the U.S. and Germany [this universities and research institutes in the U.S. and Germany [this is the HIPO instrument crew from Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff]is the HIPO instrument crew from Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff]

Test flights began April 26, 2007Test flights began April 26, 2007

SOFIA Science VisionSOFIA Science Vision

What does SOFIA add to what the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space What does SOFIA add to what the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope can do?Telescope can do?

SOFIA collects and analyzes infrared radiation of types Hubble cannot: Hubble has SOFIA collects and analyzes infrared radiation of types Hubble cannot: Hubble has a near-infrared camera; SOFIA also has mid- and far-infrared camerasa near-infrared camera; SOFIA also has mid- and far-infrared cameras

SOFIA is 3x larger than the Spitzer infrared telescope, thus SOFIA can see details 3x SOFIA is 3x larger than the Spitzer infrared telescope, thus SOFIA can see details 3x smaller and distinguish objects in regions 9x as crowded as can Spitzersmaller and distinguish objects in regions 9x as crowded as can Spitzer

SOFIA has a much larger set of instruments than either Spitzer or Hubble, especially SOFIA has a much larger set of instruments than either Spitzer or Hubble, especially a comprehensive set of spectrometers that measure composition and motions of a comprehensive set of spectrometers that measure composition and motions of celestial objectscelestial objects

SOFIA is designed to operate for 20 years, equal to Hubble’s planned lifetime longer SOFIA is designed to operate for 20 years, equal to Hubble’s planned lifetime longer than Spitzer and most other NASA observatoriesthan Spitzer and most other NASA observatories

Teachers, journalists and other guests can fly onboard SOFIA as partners with the Teachers, journalists and other guests can fly onboard SOFIA as partners with the astronomers and learn how scientific research really worksastronomers and learn how scientific research really works

90 cm telescopeKAO & Spitzer

250 cm telescopeSOFIA

Constellation OrionConstellation Orionright: far-IR view, star forming regionsright: far-IR view, star forming regions

Organic Growth & Chemistry in the ISMOrganic Growth & Chemistry in the ISMFormation Processing Fossil / Delivery

• The ring of dust and gas will fall into the black holeThe ring of dust and gas will fall into the black hole• Many if not all galaxies seem to have central blackMany if not all galaxies seem to have central black

holes like out galaxy -- a clue to how galaxies form?holes like out galaxy -- a clue to how galaxies form?• Our galaxy’s central black hole is obscured by dust,Our galaxy’s central black hole is obscured by dust,

and is only observable by infrared observatories like SOFIAand is only observable by infrared observatories like SOFIA

• Astronomers observing fast-moving stars and Astronomers observing fast-moving stars and gas infer a 4 million solar mass black hole at gas infer a 4 million solar mass black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxythe center of our Milky Way galaxy

Feeding the Black Hole in the Center of the GalaxyFeeding the Black Hole in the Center of the Galaxy

SOFIA Occultation Studies of Objects in our Solar SystemSOFIA Occultation Studies of Objects in our Solar System

SOFIA can probe the sizes, structures (rings), and SOFIA can probe the sizes, structures (rings), and atmospheres of solar system bodies by measuring how they atmospheres of solar system bodies by measuring how they occult background starsoccult background stars

TowardOcculted Star

Motion of Occulting Object

Shadow of Occulting Object

Earth

Object

SOFIA is uniquely SOFIA is uniquely suited for this because it suited for this because it can deploy over most of can deploy over most of the Earth to be in the the Earth to be in the right place at the right right place at the right time:time:• Can pick from Can pick from

hundreds of events hundreds of events each yeareach year

Typical (hypothetical) flight pathTypical (hypothetical) flight path

Southern hemisphere deployment --Southern hemisphere deployment --flight plan to study the Galactic Centerflight plan to study the Galactic Center

SOFIA’s over-all program management is located at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in southern California, next to Edwards AFB.

Management of SOFIA’s science and mission operations is at NASA’s Ames Research Center in northern California, in Silicon Valley, contracted to Universities Space Research Association (USRA)

• A consortium of 102 universities in the US and abroad

• 20 research facilities and programs - some at each NASA center• Operator of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Back to the good old KAO …

It’s 3 AM onboard the KAO ...

Airborne Astronomy Airborne Astronomy Education & OutreachEducation & Outreach

Ames Research Center

ScientistsTeachersReporterMission DirectorFOSTER Flight Staff

Someone You Know Could Fly on SOFIASomeone You Know Could Fly on SOFIA

Airborne Astronomy AmbassadorsAirborne Astronomy Ambassadors- About 100 educators per year- About 100 educators per year will fly on SOFIA will fly on SOFIA - Classroom teachers - Classroom teachers - Planetarium & science center staff - Planetarium & science center staff - Community college faculty - Community college faculty - Amateur astronomers - Amateur astronomers

SOFIA--SOFIA--”A space observatory that ”A space observatory that comes home every morning”comes home every morning”

For further information:For further information:

SOFIA science project home pageSOFIA science project home page• http://www.sofia.usra.http://www.sofia.usra.eduedu

Spitzer Space Telescope’s award-winning infrared tutorialSpitzer Space Telescope’s award-winning infrared tutorial• http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.eduhttp://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu

(includes instructions for home-made Herschel demo)(includes instructions for home-made Herschel demo)