Figure 1.  SOFIA breaks the bonds of gravity after a decade of ground-bound work on the aircraft at L-3 Communications Integrated Systems' facility in Waco Texas. (Tony Landis / NASA).

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Figure 2.  An image of SOFIA's maiden voyage taken from a chase-plane. The partial external door just aft of the wing seals the cavity containing the 2.5 meter telescope. (Carla Thomas / NASA)

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Figure 3. A video clip of SOFIA landing after nearly two airborne hours on its first functional test flight on April 26, 2007. (Patrick Waddell / USRA).

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