This unaltered story was originally published by U.S. NASA Space Agency. URL: https://www.nasa.gov Content is in public domain. ------------ SOFIA 2022 Deployment Patch – SOFIA: Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy [] Date: 2022-06-18 00:00:00 About SOFIA SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a 2.7-meter (106-inch) reflecting telescope (with an effective diameter of 2.5 meters or 100 inches). Flying into the stratosphere at 38,000-45,000 feet puts SOFIA above 99 percent of Earth’s infrared-blocking atmosphere, allowing astronomers to study the solar system and beyond in ways that are not possible with ground-based telescopes. SOFIA is made possible through a partnership between NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR. [END] [1] Url: https://blogs.nasa.gov/sofia/2022/06/18/new-zealand/sofia_2022nzpatch/ Published by NASA.Gov via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/nasa/