SOFIA in flight with telescope hatch open
SOFIA in flight with telescope hatch open
The SOFIA flying observatory telescope hatch opens during flight. ISOFIA flies at an altitude of 13,000 metres, high above the disturbance of Earth's atmosphere. Its first test flight with a totally open telescope hatch took place on 18 December 2009 over California's Mojave Desert. The German-built telescope is visible in the opening of the fuselage of the Boeing 747SP.
