Tags: NASA, Inmarsat, Ball Aerospace, Telescope
Publication: Examiner.com
Publication Date: 03/02/2013

The 2.5-meter infrared telescope in the rear fuselage of NASA’s SOFIA flying observatory tracked the star Polaris during characterization tests in March 2008. Image credit: Tom Tschida / NASA

NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy aircraft (SOFIA) will be updated this summer to include Inmarsat communications technology. The agency has chosen to install a custom AIRLINK conformal antenna system from Ball Aerospace.

SOFIA, a Boeing 747SP jumbo jet, carries a 100 inch diameter reflecting telescope that provides astronomers with access to the visible, infrared and sub-millimeter spectrum, with optimized performance in the mid-infrared to sub-millimeter range.

According to the contract, the installation of the antenna system will occur between August and September, thus the engineering design, equipment purchasing and delivery will be accomplished prior to this window of opportunity. All work will take place at the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif.

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