Before there was a James Webb Space Telescope, there was a SOFIA—Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy. This ambitious project, launched in 2010, consisted of a 2.5 meter infrared telescope mounted in the back of a repurposed Boeing 747SP. SOFIA flew its last mission in September 2022 and last week, NASA flew the aircraft to Arizona, … Continue reading NASA Retires 747 SOFIA Airborne Observatory