Why NASA's SOFIA Telescope On A Plane is "Perfectly Balanced"

[@boesesascha]

I've seen SOFIA live in Germany when it was at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg for maintenance. Its an awesome piece of technology.

[@5Andysalive]

Not that Scott mentioned anything but Nasa :)

[@Xatzimi]

@@5Andysalive It even says DLR on the side

[@firefoxfree]

The Flight Plan is even more complicated: SOFIA has to stay in the dark during the complete flight including landing, not only during observations. This is to be prepared for a malfunction of the telescope door, as the telescope should not be covered in sunlight to protect the instruments. So it is a Vampire-device! Also the reach the different heights during the flight they have to take into account the fuel weight. At the beginning of the flight they start in lower altitudes at about 10.000 meters and go then higher to 13.000m only after enough fuel is consumed.

[@PanzerBuyer]

For the SI impaired that is 13KM = 42,650ft or ~8miles.

[@MiguelMorales85]

All I know he’s got manly

[@frankeinfish]

@@capDPR 13,1km is close enough to 13 that most would just round it down when you're talking about it casually though....

[@grugiv]

Dio-device for alliteration.

[@AndreSomers]

@@capDPR There is no 1:1 mapping between FL's and altitudes in feet, as FL is relative to a standard isobaric plane which may but probably is not accurate. So you can't really say they'd be at 43,000ft, as that suggests an altitude as measured from the ground.

[@rrni2343]

The size difference between Scott and the interviewee makes it look like its a forced perspective shot.

[@rhodexa]

it's so wierd xD

[@scottmanley]

Accidental forced perspective from the PR person holding my camera.

[@rhodexa]

@@scottmanley Was funny anyway xD

[@johnballs1352]

@@scottmanley Mistook you for Frodo lol

[@chris-hayes]

That interview was not in perfect balance

[@whatdamath]

awesome! I wish this was a longer/more detailed video because I still have so many questions.

[@WolfPeste]

"Scopes on a Plane" I'm tired of these perfectly balanced scopes on this perfectly balanced plane!

[@EditioCastigata]

If only we had this balance in our lives.

[@spookydonkey2195]

Ahhh, well done

[@Dremsilruth]

Enough is enough! I have had it with these...

[@ravneiv]

Came here for this comment

[@ravneiv]

Jokes aside this was a really great video

[@filanfyretracker]

I am sure the original engineers on 747, those that are still alive must be thrilled to know their bird has found all kinds of uses never originally planned for yet still excels at those tasks

[@Markle2k]

SOFIA was a classic over-budget, behind-schedule debacle. Originally intended to be a 20 year life cycle operation, it took 16 years from the OK in 1994 to first light in 2010, by which time the plane had matured to 33 years old. The original proposal had been 10 years prior, but Germany had to pay for absorbing the East in the reunification so it had to be put on the back burner. Then, DLR in the 2010s then had to step up its contribution or NASA was going to run out of money after just 5 years of operation. Its predecessor, the Kuiper Airborne Observatory went operational in 4 years with just 3 years from proposal to funding go.

[@RCAvhstape]

@@Markle2k The 747, on the other hand (which is what the guy is talking about) has been an overwhelming success and has stayed in production and service far longer than Boeing ever imagined, and way outlived the customer who originally asked for it, Pan Am. It is also in my opinion, one of the most beautiful airliners in history.

[@Markle2k]

@@RCAvhstape Not really, he's talking about the engineers for the original 747 being proud of it being used for SOFIA _if they are still alive_ . I pointed out that the SOFIA project was first conceived before the 747SP used was 10 years old and was given the go ahead before it was 20. SOFIA was to aerospace nerds in the 80s and 90s as the JWST is today.

[@witeshade]

@@Markle2k that answers the question I was going to ask, which is why they would spend so much time and money on an airframe that is that old. I'd be worried about metal fatigue and so on.

[@Markle2k]

@@witeshade The 747SP was a dream in this regard. Cycles are what matters and a relatively young, long-range aircraft is going to have a particularly low cycle count. It's the opposite of the 747s that Japanese domestic carriers use to pack as many people into each departure/arrival slot as possible.

[@daanwilmer]

"Orion, for instance" - "One of my favourites!" Your other favourite being Skye?

[@daemonhat]

i guess one could say they could look at Orion from the Skye

[@VulpeculaJoy]

@@daemonhat Looking at Orion from the Skye with a perfectly balanced telescope. Nice.

[@Rutherford_Inchworm_III]

More of a Master of Puppets man, myself.

[@michaels5917]

Perfectly balanced, as all things should be

[@QuintonMurdock]

SCOTT THANOS SCOTT THANOS

[@ekoden]

Or how about Thanos Manley?

[@elijaho59]

Reddit

[@Dremsilruth]

Scott Thanley

[@buffysaviation]

Thanos liked that

[@damienmcfarland7267]

"I'm Scott Manley, fly Sofia"

[@pedrocrb]

Best comment I've read today

[@TrickOrRetreat]

😋 hehe

[@rebsredone450]

Why no shoutout to DLR and their role in it one wonders....

[@EricValor]

Hey! SOFIA! I trained their first IT guy in Linux/UNIX which allowed him to get the job! He then later got a job at VA Linux. When they went public, he got enough money from the stock to buy a house for his family. This was in the late-90s when they had just cut the hole in the side of the airplane for the telescope, and it was down in Texas being installed with the door. It's good to see the old girl still being used!

[@myFailedProductions]

Nice! I got to work support for the complex it's stationed at in 2016. Sometimes the IT world can get you crazy places.

[@floriangutensohn4083]

Ahem Scott, as a DLR intern: *NASA AND DLR’s SOFIA telescope :)

[@scottmanley]

Check the description.

[@VolkerHett]

Scott Manley ja ja 😊 hide it in the text nobody reads 😁 I remember writing to my local politicians to please support this project’s financing. It was a close call!

[@TheShowdown16]

When it comes to international cooperations like that, the US usually forget to mention that.

[@KaiHenningsen]

@@scottmanley Yeah, that was a bit disappointing. All the hints in the visuals, from the rather obvious markings outside the plane, to talking to a guy with markings that read much closer to "DLR" than "NASA" ... and not a single word. Not what I expect from a Scott Manley video.

[@swunt10]

@@scottmanley the telescope is not NASA's it's from DLR. NASA's part of the project SOFIA is the aircraft. so your title is simply wrong.

[@collonellbenered8088]

I actually visisted SOFIA recently when it stayed in Stuttgart for a few days, which was really cool... If SOFIA ever comes to a place near you and if they have tours, defenitely go there, so much worth it!

[@sidv4615]

now unfortunately its retired.

[@Nifilheimur]

7:39 they got 55 science on that mission. must have forgot the mystery goo unit.

[@humorinpolitics56]

I just found your channel a couple weeks ago and I'm really enjoying your content. The new push towards space has me really intrigued and I'm trying to soak up all the information I can. Keep up the great work.

[@tedsmith6137]

In some parts of the industry, the SP is assumed to stand for Small Pachyderm. BTW, an SP fin is 8 feet higher and the horizontal stabilizer span was increased by 10 feet. We had two at QANTAS, both Rolls Royce powered.

[@pkz420]

Is Scott tiny, or is the flying telescope guy a giant?

[@SW-qr8qe]

Nothing To See Here Hoping it is a step

[@gordonrichardson2972]

The Dutch are quite tall.

[@berttorpson2592]

I always picture Scott being like 6’2” (1.87m)

[@gordonrichardson2972]

@@berttorpson2592 In one of the other comments Scott says its a camera angle perspective issue.

[@ShadowZone]

Giant telescopes need giant astronomers. It's science.

[@akshanshkmr]

"Perfectly balanced, like all things should be" -Thanos(2018)

[@StarStrider99]

General Misquoti!

[@jesserosas7177]

Akshansh Kumar SHIT YOU BEAT ME TO IT

[@gracefool]

Already referenced in the video description.

[@akshanshkmr]

@@gracefool not in the way i said it

[@Archaeopteryx_]

4:44 my man is so tall he could look at distant stars with a magnifying glass

[@Hendiadyoin1]

Always love seeing something related to the DLR

[@wastedtalent1625]

Wow, I guess I haven't paid attention to how much your channel has grown in the last few months. Congrats man, 1 mill is right around the corner.

[@kirkcreelman]

Oh man, this brings back memories. I was in a nasa hanger 7 or 8 years ago doing a consult on another project. Way in the back corner was "sophia" . The hanger was so big that a 747 short looked like a little citation. Such an amazing piece of equipment.

[@Mrjonblakely]

SOFIA is the 2nd generation IR observatory. The first was the Kuiper Airborne Observatory which was a C-141 with a 1 Meter telescope, (well really 36"). Kuiper was dedicated in 1975 and was retired in 1995. I worked at NASA Ames and knew some of the controls engineers who came up with the balancing system in the late 1990s. It is great to see it all working and thanks for the tour!

[@bernardli9514]

Sofia - "perfectly balanced, as all things should be."

[@tomasformanek8172]

Unexpected Thanos

[@P3x310]

This does put a smile on Scott's face.

[@CarFreeSegnitz]

"Did you get the observation?" "Yes" "What did it cost?" "Everything"

[@tmdrake]

Very true!

[@anthonyc4138]

@@CarFreeSegnitz lol

[@Mikoto-]

For a second there I thought this was a Spiffing video. Perfectly balanced, As all things should be.

[@sweginator1084]

Lmao

[@cdnarmymedic]

Scott Manley, the Spiffing Scot.

[@commiebobo]

"SOPHIA is a perfectly balanced telescope with no exploits - excluding unlimited fuel glitch!"

[@britpoint7022]

"Catching a planetary occultation in an aircraft is much harder than you'd think" ...wow, that's saying something, because I was already thinking it sounded like a pretty SOFIAsticated maneuver

[@Psycorde]

Elon, please mark this person for the first trip to Mars. Thank you.

[@unflexian]

you win two first class tickets redeemable on all Air Manley flights

[@fabianstriebeck8054]

made in Germany. its our pleasure.

[@phunkydroid]

That feeling when you see a new Scott Manley video and it says "20 seconds ago"

[@SocksWithSandals]

I thought I'd be the first commenter, but 3552 people saw the video before me.

[@GalileoAV]

Him singing to himself "Im So ExCiTeD" as he walked up the steps is me for sure lmao

[@mihirpatil8843]

[Music]

[@Joesolo13]

@Mark Steven lmao still buying into the soy myths. "The chemicals are shaped the same so clearly they're identical"

[@alt8791]

Joesolo13 the soy shit drives me nuts

[@timstoffel4799]

Thank you very much for the fascinating tour of SOFIA! I have two friends who occasionally fly on observing missions, and some of what you described has never been explained to me before.

[@Veptis]

I am a thermal imaging enthusiast, especially the LWIR spectrum which is about 7.5 - 13.5 micro wavelengths. SOFIA can avoid the atmosphere and they are able to see even shorter wavelengths. In theory LWIR can be observed from the earths surface. But I don't have any great instruments who ever done it. I am working on doing a proof of concept myself with a modified thermal camera to observe Orion.

[@Ondra011]

I love the genuine excitement of the scientist at 11:43, you can tell he's really looking forward to upcoming observations

[@chris-hayes]

Absolutely! I wish there was more footage of that guy, listening to someone who's super passionate about a subject is the best way to learn.

[@gustavderkits8433]

Great video. Thanks for putting this on KZbin. I can’t believe there is really a “standard tour”.

[@AndreasHontzia]

This plane was shown in "Sendung mit der Maus" (German national TV show for kids (and of course adults :-D)). So you should be able to see a sticker of an orange mouse on the panel, where all signatures are.

[@TyMoore95503]

Thank you Scott for that awesome report. I have never seen SOFIA in person but I read many technical reports in college, as I am also an "All Things Space Related" Geek!

[@travisgamble8765]

Amazing video on this unique aircraft! I've always known about SOFIA, but it's wonderful to have been taken inside of it and had it explained. Thanks Scott!

[@rowlock]

I was there this Saturday too - probably didn't miss you by much. Hope ya had as much fun as we did!

[@michael-m]

Almost at 1MILLION Subscribers, Scott. Much deserved my friend.

[@arsonor]

I am... well, was... scheduled to fly on SOFIA in June. Everything is on hold for now, but I'll be going later when the rescheduling happens. Thanks for the look inside! My training has included discussion of the way it all comes together and the history, but this is a great sneak peak to my on the ground training to happen later.

[@bami2]

I could listen to the scottish pronunciation of "mirror" for days.

[@stellarpod]

Very interesting segment, Scott. An amazing piece of hardware. As always, thanks so much for sharing. Steve

[@SimplySpace]

It's really cool I get to see SOFIA when it visits NZ during our winter months.

[@GediMini]

Great video, discount Thanos. That telescope and all the machinery and infrastructure needed for it to work is really amazing.

[@Malfunct1onM1ke]

*NASA & DLR's SOFIA Telescope - please ;)

[@brandonspike]

He did mention DLR in the description

[@PedroMarco94]

@@brandonspike and only there.

[@swunt10]

@@brandonspike the telescope is DLR, NASA is responsible for the aircraft. so the title is just wrong. very simple.

[@x--.]

What is DLR?

[@AndreSomers]

@@brandonspike That's still not very... balanced... reporting. As reporting should be. Look, this kind of thing is quite important for the organizations involved. They need to keep up funding, and that is a whole lot easier if you get proper recognition for what you do. Mentions in media are a key part of that, something that is actively tracked and reported on in societal impact reports towards politicians.

[@brandonburr4900]

Mark, Fantastic video! Maybe next time they will let you tag along for a mission! More videos like these please! Thanks!

[@among-us-99999]

When will you do a video about Copenhagen Suborbitals? Manned spaceflight, but completely crowdfunded! They already had many successful unmanned launches.

[@ravener96]

they also have the rare honor of having a funding member go on to be a psycho killer.

[@TheArchaos]

If you look hard enough into the history of any given topic of discussion you'll find some pycho killer.

[@etbadaboum]

@@ravener96 Epstein?

[@Mariano.Bernacki]

@@ravener96 unrelated to the main discussion

[@adamrasmussen3521]

@@etbadaboum Peter Madsen, who took a Swedish reporter on his private submarine only to dismember her and drop the pieces in the ocean and then sink the sub. He's a bit of a psycho.

[@THEChadBooker]

Incredible video as always, fun, informative, and this is such a cool behind-the-scenes look at SOFIA! Thanks for sharing

[@Kevin_Street]

So cool! I've never even heard of SOFIA before, but it sounds like a great instrument. It's also fascinating how rugged those old airframes from the 1950's-1970's are. They can just be renovated and reused over and over, for all kinds of purposes.

[@needleonthevinyl]

Awesome timing with this video! Sam Chui just released a video on a 747SP private jet, so I went off learning about what a 747SP was, then I learned about this thing. Now I can stop wondering how it works and what it's really like inside. And more importantly why it exists.

[@Vulcano7965]

longest the DLR logo was shown in a Scott Manley video! :D

[@Acid_Burn9]

perfectly balanced telescope with no exploits whatsoever for british empire to find

[@Jestus13]

I live in the Antelope Valley and I can tell just by the sound when SOFIA takes off over my house. Such an amazing AV!

[@gustavgnoettgen]

Oh, the DLR! Greetings from 🇩🇪

[@MrKelseyB]

Timely for me. I woke up to a plane over the house a couple of weeks ago, and checked Flight Aware, and this was it. Cool. I had no idea about it till then, and now I know much more! Thanks!

[@MrChainsawAardvark]

For a while my dad worked for Goodrich Aviation. One of the major projects he got to work on were the linear actuators that open and close the door that covers the telescope.

[@Coastfog]

Amazing video, thanks for taking us along for a very interesting ride!

[@corydavis4121]

You should check out Deep Sky Videos. They have some amazing tours of many of the world's best telescopes.

[@alexlandherr]

You should start doing closeups more often of similar hardware if possible. I liked it very much Scott, thanks!

[@Fabrizio_Ruffo]

One of my favorites of your videos. I want to know more about that magnetic field stuff.

[@craighalpin1917]

Just a random question... During the video I noticed the light on the aircraft. Does the light pollution from this cause interference in the scope? Do they shut them off during observations and if so how does this work with the FAA? 9:33 The light is dim, and red so they may just filter it out as they are looking at non-visible light (I think) But the video never addressed this.

[@niconico3907]

There is no direct line of sight between the light and the telescope, and at 10 to 13000m, there is no dust or humidity for the light to bounce off of.

[@nomdemorte1302]

@@niconico3907 what about reflections from the aircraft itself? Are you an expert on SOFIA or just guessing like the rest of us? I'm quite curious about this matter :)

[@gordonrichardson2972]

@@nomdemorte1302 Aircraft lights are specifically positioned not to shine inside the cockpit (destroying the pilot's night vision), and I'm sure they thought of this then they converted the design.

[@nomdemorte1302]

@@gordonrichardson2972 I'd like to know. I think it's an interesting question.

[@niconico3907]

@@nomdemorte1302 just guessing

[@karadan100]

I love the fact you go to these places to report on awesome science.

[@Aviator27J]

I have a coworker who planned SOFIA flights for NASA and we just chatted about it. If you're interested in talking to her I'm sure she could give more info. We both plan airline flights now but her second job for about 20 years was also NASA dispatching. Working onboard SOFIA being the go-to between the flight deck and scientists/engineers would be a fun job! (To clarify though, she didn't fly on it, she planned the route, altitude, fuel load, etc just like we do with our airline. She also planned the U2, Air Force One, and other NASA missions.)

[@MayhemCanuck]

Mighty Plains TV show did a great episode on this, watching a time lapse of the Telescope moving was in fact the plane moving around the telescope. What a great chance to see it up close, lucky guy :)

[@Inexpressable]

I learned about infrared telescopes from a lecture I randomly watched from Walter Lewin. He was talking about having to send up balloons and whatnot, but a plane certainly seems like a solid way of doing it. Interesting video

[@886014]

Everything old is new again. The original 747 used a sextant to check the inertia navigation instruments. Thanks for that video Scott, I've often wondered how that telescope worked. I never got to fly the "classic"; it was the end of the era unfortunately. However my colleagues speak very highly of it and it's nice to see the old girl getting good use.

[@thomthumbe]

I used to fly one of the Pan Am SP's on a non-stop from JFK to NRT. There were a few rows of Cattle Class, a short First Class cabin with a huge Business Class section.

[@tinkmarshino]

Thanks again Scott.. you find the most interesting things to tell us about.. That was fascinating! thanks again for you hard work in bringing us all of this great science.. carry on and be safe..

[@Turvok]

I don't know how you get access to some of this stuff. this was great i'm happy that you did! Really interesting.

[@dz-]

Awesome vid, thanks! I have always wanted to get a closer look at the inside of this unique aircraft.

[@vikkimcdonough6153]

Are you going to be doing a video on SOFIA's predecessors ( _Galileo I_ and the KAO)?

[@ericmelton4630]

Very interesting Scott. Seems that me like an advantage/disadvantage scenario. Driven by a purpose. Got to admire that.

[@nkondrashov]

Marvelous! An ultimate mount for airborne telescope placed anywhere you want!

[@NecroDingus]

Great job. Nice quote for the last line there sir.

[@alloneword7427]

The knowledge behind this marvelous bit of kit is more than every FE put together can muster.

[@BrickNewton]

I was lucky enough to have a private tour through the KUIPER flying observatory (the C141 Starlifter) when it was in Christchurch New Zealand when I was a boy, was so much to take in at that age. It was an awesome plane and wish I could remember more about it. Now need to get a tour through SOFIA

[@astroZ45]

Thanks for the great video, Mr. Manley. I’ve always wondered how these airplane-mounted telescopes work! This was an amazing up close look. At least my questions are narrowed down a bit now.😜

[@mvmmotovlogmusic2815]

I’ve know about SOFIA for many years...but where else could we get a close up like this?!?! Thank You Scott Manley .. mVm

[@907flyfishing]

So cool. My fellow hair product conservationist!!..Scott Manley for minister of science!!..I love waking up to a new video. Do you sell any Merchandise?..I'd love to purchase some for my students as achievement awards. God speed from your friends in Alaska.

[@CodyDockerty]

Was lucky enough to go onboard earlier this year when it was based in Christchurch. It is a very beautiful piece of machinery

[@bat2293]

Scott Manley - "Our man in the field reporting". A new Meme is born. Looking forward to your live on board reporting of the first _Crew Dragon_ re-entry.

[@lewsdiod]

Love how J Jackson lit up when mentioning the polarisation instrument :) nice and TIL, thanks!

[@laelienriviere5735]

That end line was perfectly delivered, as all text should be

[@Avida-l7s-instrumental]

This channel is such a treat 🤗

[@haph2087]

What are the tolerance requirements for the balance of the telescope? At least for the passive balancing mechanism that is.

[@buckstarchaser2376]

I thought this was going to be a colab with The Spiffing Britt when I read the title.

[@PendragonDaGreat]

I've always said that the 747SP is one of the 4 drawings you'll get from a 2nd grader that was just at the airport to show a plane. The others are the B753, A318, and Q400. You got your stubby bois (747SP, A318) your LOOOOOOONG BOI (B753), and a prop plane (Q400). (yes tehre are longer planes than the B753, but it's a long single aisle which gives it a characteristic ratio) You'll also start getting some A380s with todays generation.

[@Markle2k]

I dunno, today's generation may not get to see a 380 for long enough to make it stick.

[@ravneiv]

The inertial steadiness is such simple ingeniousness it's amazing. I immediately thought this video would go over the complicated ways of keeping the telescope stable and some tracking algorithm software with crazy feedback control loops and stuff... but nope they just give it a lot of mass and make sure it's balanced and free to move.

[@mattbland2380]

Very impressed that Scott scored an invite aboard SOFIA. Fly safe 👍🚀

[@michaelwojczik3740]

Had the opportunity to visit this plane inside as it was in Germany for her first observation flight over Europe this year, incredible technology

[@Hopeless_and_Forlorn]

So, the bulkhead with the instruments and light tube is now the functional aft pressure bulkhead, and everything aft of it is unpressurized?

[@scottmanley]

Yep

[@skaltura]

You need better mic setup. Tim Dodd / Everyday Astronaut seems to have this nailed (based on elon musk interview). Amazing stuff! NASA seems to do so much more than you'd expect, and more info about this stuff needs to be looked at. It's not all about just rockets at all what they do.

[@mathiwiekroed3695]

Perfectly balanced - as all scopes should be

[@nicerperson1]

Fantastic piece of kit - and a fascinating video!

[@laptop006]

[@helir00]

kool vid chap lucky to get that close up, I wonder how many more units are in production. ;)

[@droppointbaker]

Scott Manley position confirmed: Thanos did nothing wrong.

[@wrightmf]

Interesting presentation even though some of the comments which I'm not sure if people are saying Scott has made errors or if comments are satire. Anyway nice they provided him to go behind consoles closer to the scope for views and also inside the cockpit. I was there Friday, would have been cool to meet Scott in person. What gets me is it took ssssoooooo lllllllooooooonnnnnnggggg to get this thing flying. Originally scope was to be forward of the wing, it was moved back so that added delays. Talking with a NASA engineer/manager (forgot name) who was a director of flight ops during development. He said SOFIA was designed/modified such that it handles exactly like a commercial 747-SP.

[@JaBananause]

Love your videos, great after a long day!

[@vicv9503]

Great to see this A/C funded again! I use to see SOFIA left with no funding, parked and all dusty in Plant 42 in the southern part near the blackbird airpark museum near were i live. Those were sad days. I'm jealous of all the young scientist that will get to explore with this baby.

[@techexpertsllc296]

A friend of mine from high school works on this. It is pretty neat what they do and how it works.

[@AZRckCrwler]

Been watching for years, love your videos! But I think your audio levels could benefit from some of that "perfect balancing" ;)

[@PhillipChalabi]

This was great inside info on this scope! I am so glad they allowed you to join! Would you be down to document a Moon/Mars mission if they asked you to?