SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a 2.7-meter telescope. SOFIA was flying above 99% of Earth’s atmosphere providing the astrophysical community an access to the mid- and far-infrared wavelengths.
SOFIA was a 80/20 partnership of NASA and the German Space Agency, DLR.
SOFIA was expected to have a lifetime of about 20 years, but the project was unexpectedly cancelled by NASA and DLR in 2022, in its peak of producing science.
As of October 1, 2022, SOFIA ended science flight operations;
the mission is over, but its legacy will last.
I will present SOFIA achievements in the field of protostars and planets,
as well as SOFIA's archive and tools that are still useful for the astronomical community.