A technician examines the instrument mounting structure and bulkhead of the German-built infrared telescope installed in NASA's SOFIA airborne observatory.

Photographer NASA/Tony Landis

Location AFRC

Date April 25, 2007

SOFIA first flight Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy German-built 100-inch 2 5 meter diameter infrared telescope 20 tons highly-modified Boeing 747SP aircraft DLR Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt German Aerospace L-3 Communications Integrated Systems Universities Space Research Association USRA Deutsches SOFIA Institut DSI