A TELESCOPE ON A PLANE!? - NASA Social SOFIA Tour

I was invited out for my first NASA Social event recently and it was pretty amazing. I got the chance to tour SOFIA in Palmdale, CA at the Armstrong Flight Research Center. We were also given a nice tour of several other NASA aircraft along the way. This tour was especially amazing for me since I'm studying to be a private pilot and I love astronomy. The best of both worlds! I hope you enjoy this one.

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#deepskydude #NASAsocial #SOFIA

[NASAArmstrong]

✈️🔭Great video! Thanks again for attending the social & we're so glad you enjoyed the event 🤗

[heatshield]

Too cool! Did you get any flight duration or range info? There might have been more fuel tanks installed considering the extra space available from lack of sixty thousand pounds of passengers and baggage.

[Erika-fhrc]

wowww what a wonderful tour, i hope you enjoyed it enough. ;) thanks for sharing.

[MiatchGrip]

Hey Buddy, really great video. And so envious. I would die to get a tour, and I LIVE IN PALMDALE. Been watching SOPHIA depart generally every nite for 2 years and never knew what she was, but NASA. Cheers

[eribruger]

Yes please! Upload more of the not yet shown footage you took. I just found out about Sophia from NASA's announcement a couple days ago (water on Moon) and am amazed.

[flyingfortressrc]

She recently made her last flight into Tucson AZ where she'll be at her new home, the Pima Air Museum.

[warrenchu]

My son Jason just joined SOFIA as an instrument scientist. His first mission will be in April 2021.

[cygnus]

It's like an downside-up version of a spyplane LoL

[joshmills]

my pops helped build this plane, even went to Germany for spare/specialty parts

[Muonium]

I do not understand how such a configuration remains unaffected by what must be an IMMENSE amount of turbulence at the interface between the outside airstream and the inner volume where the primary mirror is when the door is open. Not to mention the vibrations the wind must be creating!! The guy mentioned that although the aperture is pointed up and away from the contrails it can still see radiation from them. I would like to know more about how that is occurring. Rayleigh scattering off ambient dry air around the plane? Residual IR active trace gas constituents of the air absorbing and re-emitting??

[venturestar]

It's like visiting the cathedral of astronomy.

[WillScaryForCandy]

Do you know if they offer flights on any of these aircraft? I've known a few people who've been able to ride along on the 747 but unsure how they manage to swing that. Thanks

[Etherus]

why is the sofia so short and has long wings?