Public domain
This inflight photo was taken during the first flight of the NASA and German Aerospace Center SOFIA airborne infrared observatory 747SP on April 26, 2007
From the collection of NASA Image and Video Library. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Christened "Clipper Lindbergh" when it flew for Pan American Airways in the 1970s, the SOFIA 747SP shows evidence of modification to its aft fuselage contours to accommodate a 16-foot-tall opening for a 45,000-pound infrared telescope. This inflight photo was taken on SOFIA's first flight since its modification to become an airborne observatory.
NASA Image and Video Library’s own descriptionCredit lineThis inflight photo was taken during the first flight of the NASA and German Aerospace Center SOFIA airborne infrared observatory 747SP on April 26, 2007. NASA/AFRC, 2007-04-26. Public domain. ID: ED07-0079-03.
Similar works
With landing gear extended, the NASA/DLR Stratospheric Observatory for Infared Astronomy (SOFIA) 747SP cruises over central Texas on its first checkout flight
NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy is silhouetted against the sky as it soars on its second check flight near Waco, Texas on May 10, 2007
NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory in flight for the first of a series of test flights to verify the flight performance of the highly modified Boeing 747SP
NASA's modified Boeing 747SP SOFIA airborne observatory taxis along the runway at Waco, Texas after completing its first checkout flight on April 26, 2007
This inflight photo was taken during the first flight of the NASA and German Aerospace Center SOFIA airborne infrared observatory 747SP on April 26, 2007
NASA's highly modified Boeing 747SP SOFIA observatory banks low over the Texas countryside as it heads for landing at Waco to conclude its second check flight