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General information
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SOFIA Telescope
 


Observatory Facts of SOFIA Telescope

Platform: Boeing 747SP with telescope on the left side of the fuselage
Lifetime: 20 years
Number of flights per year: circa 160, 3 to 4 flights per week
Operating altitude: 39,000 to 45,000 ft.
Observation time at operating altitudes: 8 hours
Total observation time per year: › 960 hours
Ambient temperature in telescope chamber: 210 to 330 k
Crew: 3 flight crew
10 to 15 operators/technicians/scientists/educators
Home base: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

Page Last Updated: March 10, 2004

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