Grounded: The director of the SOFIA flying observatory looks back

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

The Planetary Society

Technology, Science

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 5 October 2022

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Director of SOFIA Science Mission Operations Margaret Meixner joins us to lament the end of the giant flying observatory and to celebrate its tremendous successes.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The end of Sophia, this week on Planetary Radio.
0:10.2	Welcome.
0:11.2	I'm Matt Kaplan of the Planetary Society with more of the human adventure across our solar
0:16.4	system and beyond.
0:18.7	Sophia, the great infrared telescope mounted in a 747 aircraft, made its last flight on
0:25.8	the night of September 30, 2022.
0:29.8	After science mission operations, Margaret Mikestner joins me for a conversation about the
0:34.6	observatory's legacy not long before she got on board for that swan song journey.
0:41.4	You'll hear her sorrow and joy.
0:44.6	It's a solid joy to know that the CD of the Moon Symphony is about to become available,
0:49.7	including liner notes by yours truly.
0:52.2	We'll have a copy for the winner of the new Space Trivia contest Bruce will present
0:57.3	today.
0:58.9	Although I'm still feeling the symptoms, I'm very glad to announce that I've tested
1:03.5	negative for COVID twice today.
1:06.7	It has not been a fun 11 days of isolation, but my experience has been so much easier
1:11.6	than many around the world.
1:13.2	Still, it's partly why this week's show is a bit shorter than most.
1:17.3	Be careful out there, folks.
1:19.3	A smashing success.
1:21.1	That's how Nancy Shabo of the Dark Mission described it in last week's show.
1:25.9	And it's the headline for the September 30 edition of the Downlink, the Planetary Society's
	...

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