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