NASA's now-retired Kuiper Airborne Observatory shared the limelight with its successor, the SOFIA observatory, during an open house at Ames Research Center

NASA's now-retired Kuiper Airborne Observatory shared the limelight with its successor, the SOFIA observatory, during an open house at Ames Research Center.

NASA's now-retired Kuiper Airborne Observatory shared the limelight with its successor, the SOFIA observatory, during an open house at Ames Research Center.

Photographer NASA/Eric James
Location ARC
SOFIAStratospheric Observatory for Infrared AstronomyAmes Research Centerfirst visitDryden Aircraft Operations FacilityPalmdaleClipper LindberghGerman-built 100-inch 2 5 meter diameter infrared telescope20 tonshighly-modified Boeing 747SP aircraftDLR Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt German AerospaceL-3 Communications Integrated SystemsUniversities Space Research AssociationUSRADeutsches SOFIA InstitutDSI