NASA is decommissioning SOFIA, its unique modified Boeing 747SP airborne observatory, by the end of this year, citing high operating costs outweighing its scientific productivity. SOFIA operated by ...

Telescopes come in all shapes and sizes, depending on use, and can be placed anywhere, from facilities down here on Earth to floating free, millions of miles away from our planet. But if they’re truly ...

Those attending the 2015 SBD Fest at San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) may have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the infamous Boeing 747SP. Just 45 of the shrunk-fuselage long-range ...

After eight years of operation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is soon to retire a unique piece of equipment and aviation history. NASA's Boeing 747SP-based Stratospheric ...

Inside a Hamburg maintenance hangar belonging to Lufthansa Technik (LHT), a 40-year-old Boeing 747 Special Performance is undergoing a heavy check to help keep the heavily modified, NASA-owned ...

COLORADO SPRINGS—Almost three months after its final science mission ended, NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) 747SP airborne telescope has been retired to the Pima Air & ...

Experience an extraordinary collection of rare and special four-engine aircraft as some of aviation's most spectacular machines thunder across the runway in one unforgettable planespotting compilation ...

COLORADO SPRINGS—Science missions using the Boeing 747SP-based Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) airborne observatory will end in September 2022 after the U.S. National ...

NASA reports positive results from initial open-door testing of its Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia), a research platform that includes a 19t telescope mounted on a Boeing ...

Before the Boeing 747 was discontinued in 2023, it built a number of variants for the aircraft to suit a variety of needs. One such derivative was the 747SP (Special Performance). This version of the ...