Posted on 04/28/2008 1:05:46 PM PDT by BenLurkin
PALMDALE - Technicians at the NASA Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale have removed the German-built primary mirror assembly from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy - a telescope carried in a modified Boeing 747 - in preparation for the final finish coating of the mirror. Technicians employed a high-precision crane and other equipment to lift the more than two-ton mirror assembly from its cavity in the rear fuselage of the aircraft, NASA said in an update on the observatory, called SOFIA. After it was removed, the assembly was moved to a clean room where it is being prepared for shipment to NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in the San Jose area. The assembly is scheduled to be flown to NASA Ames on an Air Force C-17 transport plane on May 1.
Once at Ames, the mirror will receive its final aluminized finish coating in a zero-pressure coating facility, a process expected to take about three months.
In Palmdale, NASA said, engineers and technicians will perform a variety of developmental tasks on the aircraft, including rerouting of auxiliary power unit ducting, modifying the cavity door control system, installation of the cavity door drive system actuators, replacement of the telescope's roller bearings, mounting non-reflective insulation inside the telescope cavity, installation of various mission subsystems and making other mechanical refinements.
"The removal of the mirror is the key to completion of the remainder of the integration work," John Carter, SOFIA aircraft platform project manager at Dryden, said in the NASA update.
When final coating is complete, SOFIA's primary mirror will be returned to Palmdale and be reinstalled in the aircraft, with that operation currently scheduled for mid-August, NASA said.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
ping
The mirror will then be airlifted to Barack Obama’s house, as it is the only mirror in the world able to capture the complete view of both Obama’s massive ego AND hatred of his country...
Nice coverage, BL.
Just arrived: Combo 747, telescope
Valley Press | Monday, June 4, 2007
Posted on 06/04/2007 11:53:11 AM PDT by BenLurkin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1844669/posts
Futuristic telescope topic of talk
Valley Press | Saturday, June 23, 2007
Posted on 06/23/2007 2:45:23 PM PDT by BenLurkin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1855231/posts
SOFIA team tracks celestial targets
avpress | Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Posted on 03/19/2008 1:13:06 PM PDT by BenLurkin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1988336/posts
Guilty I am of old fashioned boosterism. But in mitigation, these are usually posted to “chat”.
Hey, I’m for it. :’)
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