Spectral Resolution and Wavelength Comparison
Here the wavelength vs. resolution capabilities of the SOFIA and Herschel missions are compared. Herschel is the European Space Agency's far-infrared and submillimeter satellite observatory, scheduled for launch in 2007.

The graph shows that several of the first-light SOFIA instruments will allow a preview of the wavelength-resolution parameter space to be further probed by Herschel. Specifically, similar photometry will be possible with HAWC as with PACS, and spectroscopy done with FIFI-LS and AIRES will later be explored with the PACS spectroscopic capability. At longer wavelengths, the spectroscopy of CASIMIR and SAFIRE onboard SOFIA will provide a precursor to that undertaken with HIFI and SPIRE on Herschel