DLR Portal - SOFIA

SOFIA: Molecules and star formation in the Milky Way

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:40:00 +0200

GREAT results of the early science flights with SOFIA, the airborne observatory, puiblished in the European scientific journal 'Astronomy & Astrophysics'.

'Hands-on' space experience at German Aerospace Day

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:30:00 +0200

'Encounter' a satellite in orbit, view the Moon and the Rhine Valley in 3D, board SOFIA, the airborne observatory, or visit the wind tunnel or astronaut training facility to experience the extreme conditions to which materials and people are exposed in space – these are just a few of the many space-related activities that DLR in Cologne will make available to the general public on 18 September 2011.

German teachers fly to the stars with SOFIA

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 09:00:00 +0200

During the night of 14 to 15 July 2011, two German teachers flew on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, for the first time. Wolfgang Viesser from the Christoph-Probst Gymnasium in Munich and Jörg Trebs from the Thomas-Mann Oberschule in Berlin were selected to join a team from the German SOFIA Institute (DSI), the University of Stuttgart and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to experience first-hand precisely how 'live' research on SOFIA is conducted at an altitude of 14 kilometres.

SOFIA 2010 – the year in review

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:40:00 +0200

During 2010, SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy – a joint project of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and NASA – achieved programme goals and passed milestones at a pace almost as fast as the observatory can fly.

German instrument GREAT begins its scientific observations on board SOFIA

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:40:00 +0200

On 6 April 2011, German scientists carried out their first astronomical observations on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA. A joint project between NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), SOFIA is the world's only operational airborne observatory. The first observations with the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, GREAT, included spectra of the Omega Nebula (M17) an active star-forming region in the Milky Way, and the galaxy IC 342, located a few million light years away.

German Receiver GREAT installed on SOFIA for the first time

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:20:00 +0100

On 21 and 22 January 2011, the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, GREAT, was installed on Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, for the first time. The installation and first tests were successful. Further tests will follow before the first scientific flight of SOFIA with GREAT on board takes place in April 2011.