SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP airplane that is home to a 2.7-meter (106 inch) reflecting telescope in the back. Instead of “normal” airplane seats, the plane has different stations. There are stations for the telescope operator, mission control, scientists, communal tables and educators. The airplane has two levels. The first level has the telescope and the stations, as well as a small kitchen and some seats toward the front for resting. The second level has a few more big seats for sleeping and the cockpit, where the captain and flight engineer work.
During the flight briefing, we met the scientists and heard what they had observed the night before. Everyone was very excited because it was the first detection of the 63 μm atomic oxygen line in the thermosphere of Mars. After the briefing, we were told that was confidential information and we could not tell our students or anyone about it. We needed to let the scientists write and publish their paper about the discovery. We did just that, and about a year later, they shared this discovery with the world!
We completed two flights or “missions” aboard the SOFIA. The scientists were observing the center of the galaxy. Each mission departs around 5:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. at night and lands around 5:00 a.m. the next morning. When SOFIA takes off, it feels like a normal plane taking off.
