![NASA Has Retired Its Boeing 747SP SOFIA Airborne Observatory After Eight Years Of Scientific Activity - The Aviationist NASA Has Retired Its Boeing 747SP SOFIA Airborne Observatory After Eight Years Of Scientific Activity - The Aviationist](https://theaviationist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SOFIA_Final_Flight_1.jpg)
NASA Has Retired Its Boeing 747SP SOFIA Airborne Observatory After Eight Years Of Scientific Activity - The Aviationist
![NASA bids farewell to SOFIA: the unique Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a reflecting telescope made its last flight - The Aviation Geek Club NASA bids farewell to SOFIA: the unique Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a reflecting telescope made its last flight - The Aviation Geek Club](https://theaviationgeekclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Boeing-747SP-SOFIA.jpg)
NASA bids farewell to SOFIA: the unique Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a reflecting telescope made its last flight - The Aviation Geek Club
![Hamburg, Germany. 26th Oct, 2020. View into the cockpit of a converted Boeing 747 with the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia), which is standing for maintenance in a hangar at Lufthansa Hamburg, Germany. 26th Oct, 2020. View into the cockpit of a converted Boeing 747 with the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia), which is standing for maintenance in a hangar at Lufthansa](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2D81FWY/hamburg-germany-26th-oct-2020-view-into-the-cockpit-of-a-converted-boeing-747-with-the-stratospheric-observatory-for-infrared-astronomy-sofia-which-is-standing-for-maintenance-in-a-hangar-at-lufthansa-technik-us-researchers-have-found-new-evidence-of-water-on-the-moon-by-analyzing-data-from-sofia-provided-by-the-boeing-747-converted-into-a-flying-telescope-by-the-us-space-agency-nasa-and-the-german-aerospace-center-dlr-to-researchers-find-new-evidence-of-water-on-the-moon-credit-christian-charisiusdpaalamy-live-news-2D81FWY.jpg)
Hamburg, Germany. 26th Oct, 2020. View into the cockpit of a converted Boeing 747 with the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia), which is standing for maintenance in a hangar at Lufthansa
![SOFIA Telescope on Twitter: "SOFIA's #telescope: 2.5 m. Kuiper Airborne Observatory, 1974: .9m; Lear Jet,1966: .3m http://t.co/RnqnpNK6pi #tbt http://t.co/lPIRUeB2Ob" / Twitter SOFIA Telescope on Twitter: "SOFIA's #telescope: 2.5 m. Kuiper Airborne Observatory, 1974: .9m; Lear Jet,1966: .3m http://t.co/RnqnpNK6pi #tbt http://t.co/lPIRUeB2Ob" / Twitter](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8iGGAOCEAEElMa.png)
SOFIA Telescope on Twitter: "SOFIA's #telescope: 2.5 m. Kuiper Airborne Observatory, 1974: .9m; Lear Jet,1966: .3m http://t.co/RnqnpNK6pi #tbt http://t.co/lPIRUeB2Ob" / Twitter
![26 January 2021, Hamburg: Behind the open hatch, the reflecting telescope of the flying stratospheric observatory "SOFIA" can be seen inside a converted Boeing 747 during final checks at Lufthansa Technik. The 26 January 2021, Hamburg: Behind the open hatch, the reflecting telescope of the flying stratospheric observatory "SOFIA" can be seen inside a converted Boeing 747 during final checks at Lufthansa Technik. The](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2E92C3H/26-january-2021-hamburg-behind-the-open-hatch-the-reflecting-telescope-of-the-flying-stratospheric-observatory-sofia-can-be-seen-inside-a-converted-boeing-747-during-final-checks-at-lufthansa-technik-the-stratospheric-observatory-for-infrared-astronomy-sofia-is-a-boeing-747-converted-into-a-flying-telescope-by-the-us-space-agency-nasa-and-the-german-aerospace-center-dlr-it-has-been-undergoing-maintenance-at-the-lufthansa-technik-base-in-hamburg-in-recent-weeks-photo-christian-charisiusdpa-2E92C3H.jpg)