The SOFIA primary mirror assembly is cautiously lifted from its cavity in the modified 747 by a crane in preparation for finish coating operations at NASA Ames
Technicians at the NASA Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., removed the German-built primary mirror assembly from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, April 18, 2008 in preparation for the final finish coating of the mirror. A precision crane lifted the more than two-ton mirror assembly from its cavity in the rear fuselage of the highly modified Boeing 747SP. The assembly was then secured in its transport dolly and moved to a clean room where it was prepared for shipment to NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field near Mountain View, Calif. where it would receive its aluminized finish coating before being re-installed in the SOFIA aircraft.
- Date
- 2008-04-18
- Photographer / author
- NASA/Tony Landis
- Collection
- AFRC
- Archive
- NASA Image and Video Library
- Type
- photograph
Public domainsafest
Reason: a NASA work: not copyrighted in the United States.
Read from: NASA media usage guidelines: NASA material is not copyrighted in the US unless noted; no third-party credit or mark found.
Credit line
"The SOFIA primary mirror assembly is cautiously lifted from its cavity in the modified 747 by a crane in preparation for finish coating operations at NASA Ames" (2008-04-18). NASA/AFRC/NASA/Tony Landis. Public domain. https://images.nasa.gov/details/ED08-0041-165Need photos for a whole script? Add Find Any Photo to Claude and ask for this one by its id: 25940.
More like this
SOFIA's primary mirror assembly is cradled on its dolly as technicians prepare to move it into a "clean room" at NASA Dryden's Aircraft Operations Facility
2008-04-18 · NASA Image and Video Library
Technicians position the transport cradle as a crane lowers SOFIA's primary mirror assembly into place prior to finish coating of the mirror at NASA Ames
2008-04-18 · NASA Image and Video Library
Technicians carefully guide SOFIA's primary mirror assembly on its transport cradle into a clean room where it is being prepared for shipment to NASA Ames
2008-04-18 · NASA Image and Video Library
Technicians with ropes carefully guide the primary mirror assembly as a crane slowly moves it toward its transport cradle after removal from the SOFIA aircraft
2008-04-18 · NASA Image and Video Library
Ground crewmen prepare to load the crated SOFIA primary mirror assembly into an Air Force C-17 for shipment to NASA Ames Research Center for finish coating
2008-05-01 · NASA Image and Video Library
Ground crewmen shove the more than two-ton SOFIA primary mirror assembly in its transport crate into a C-17's cavernous cargo bay for shipment to NASA Ames
2008-05-01 · NASA Image and Video Library
A NASA Technician directs loading of the crated SOFIA primary mirror assembly into a C-17 for shipment to NASA Ames Research Center for finish coating
2008-05-01 · NASA Image and Video Library
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers at Hangar A&E, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, lift the upper canister to move it to the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) at right. After encapsulation, the spacecraft will be transported to Launch Complex 17-B for mating with its launch vehicle, the D
2003-08-07 · NASA Image and Video Library