Technicians carefully maneuver a spreader bar into place before removing the telescope aperture assembly from NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory Boeing 747SP

Technicians carefully maneuver a spreader bar into place before removing the telescope aperture assembly from NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory Boeing 747SP.

Technicians carefully maneuver a spreader bar into place before removing the telescope aperture assembly from NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory Boeing 747SP.

Photographer NASA/Tony Landis
Location AFRC
SOFIAStratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomyaperture mounting assemblyupper rigid door assemblycavity doorsremovalAmes Research CenterDryden Aircraft Operations FacilityPalmdaleSite 9Clipper 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