2017

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SOFIA, the two-fold stargazer

An approximately six-by-four metre sliding door was fitted to the fuselage of the aircraft between 1997 and 2007 in order to give the infrared telescope an unobstructed view of the stars. But few people know that even the 'original model' of the 747SP already allowed celestial observation through a sliding door.

by Clemens Plank
AstronomySOFIA
Space |

Why does SOFIA have a bulge?

You could say that SOFIA is the aircraft equivalent of the hunchback of Notredame, as unlike its elegant colleagues that we know and appreciate from normal air transport, our observatory has a hunch, or a bulge. Does that make SOFIA unattractive? Perhaps! But I believe that it is the bulge that makes the aircraft so interesting, as it hides SOFIA’s inner treasure: the telescope, the star trackers and last but not least the door system as well – with all the integral components.

by Heinz-Theo Hammes
AstronomySOFIA
Space |

Larsen C – A giant in motion

The A68 iceberg has been making headlines again after calving from the Larsen-C in July 2017. What happened?

by Kathrin Höppner
AntarcticaTerraSAR-XTanDEM-XEarth observation
Space |

Beaming instructions from space: robot experiment between the ISS and Oberpfaffenhofen

The Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has long been a forerunner in the remote control of robot technology for space applications. In 1993, the ROTEX experiment was the first ever in which a robot was remotely controlled from the ground and actually caught a free-floating object in space. In a more recent experiment in December 2015, cosmonaut Sergei Volkov used technology that built on this experiment to operate a ground-based robot from the International Space Station (ISS).

by Daniel Leidner
AstronautsISS
Space |

Larsen C - TerraSAR-X observes calving of A-68 iceberg

In recent days, the gigantic iceberg that has broken free of the Larsen C ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula has been in the headlines. Although the dislodging of icebergs from ice shelves is a natural occurrence and does indeed take place regularly in the Antarctic, as the media aptly reported, this event made a far larger impression than many others.

by Kathrin Höppner
TerraSAR-XEarth observationAntarctica
Space |

ROBEX Part 4: Ash, beetles and blustering winds

Dust is inescapable after four weeks of field research on Mount Etna: a tenaciously fine layer covers everything: equipment, transport crates and notebook keypads. It penetrates the mission container and sticks to hands and legs lathered in sunscreen.

by Manuela Braun
ROBEXLanding robotPlanetary research
Space |

ROBEX Part 3: Hammering for science

Mount Etna is very close to being a substitute Moon for the planetary researchers of the ROBEX project – it is here that they find volcanic basalt in quantities similar to those of the constituents of the lunar soil. In addition, the Sicilian volcano is the only place in Europe that experiences earthquakes at a depth of up to 600 kilometres. Mount Etna is like the Moon in this respect as well, as Earth's lunar companion experiences most earthquakes 700 to 1100 kilometres below the surface. "Etna is the only place in Europe where we can measure earthquakes at a similar depth," says planetary researcher Martin Knapmeyer.

by Manuela Braun
ROBEXLanding robotPlanetary research
Space |

ROBEX Part 2: Lander on a trolley

500. 350. 80. On Friday, these numbers set the rhythm. Weighing in at 500 kilograms, the RODIN lander will be taken 350 metres from its current location, 80 metres downhill. The lander was initially kept near base camp – the perfect location for carrying out repairs following its transit to Sicily and for the first tests and connection to the control room on Mount Etna. To conduct the actual 'Moon mission', the RODIN lander will be on the Piano del Lago.

by Manuela Braun
ROBEXLanding robotPlanetary research
Space |

ROBEX Part 1: Mission in the lava landscape

A journey to the Moon is an arduous one, even if this 'Moon' is located here on Earth, 2600 metres above sea level, directly on Mount Etna. A heavy transporter winds its way slowly and laboriously through the narrow, serpentine roads above Catania in Sicily to arrive at our lunar destination. The landscape becomes increasingly black as the team from the HGF Alliance ROBEX (Robotic Exploration under Extreme Conditions) approaches its temporary work location.

by Manuela Braun
ROBEXLanding robotPlanetary research
Space |

DLR audio – The Sound of Science

Science is simulating, measuring, and evaluating data in order to gather knowledge. On an elementary level, however, science is a description of human experience: touching, observing, and listening. Helicopter rotors make a very particular sound; satellites send beacon signals from outer space; wind tunnels also produce a characteristic soundscape.

by Philipp Burtscheidt
DLR crossmedia
Space |

Double anniversary for SOFIA

The coming week will bring two occasions to celebrate with SOFIA. Just yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the virgin flight by SOFIA's 'flying base' on 25 April 1977: operating under the registration N536PA, the Boeing 747 SP flew for the former airline PAN AM, mainly on long-haul routes to Asia or South America.

by Heinz-Theo Hammes
SOFIAAstronomy
Space |

Video: The flying observatory SOFIA

How does the flying observatory SOFIA work? What is infrared astronomy? What sets SOFIA apart from other space observatories, and what happens on a typical day in the air?

by Fabian Walker
AstronomySOFIADLR crossmedia