NASA Dryden Contributed to Science, Aerospace Research In 2011
EDWARDS, Calif. -- NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., continued its support of NASA's
four mission areas during 2011, helping to advance the agency's
overall mission of Earth and space science and aerospace
technology research. Science SOFIA Observatory The Stratospheric
Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), an international
collaboration between NASA and the German Aerospace Center, had
a busy year, starting with the flight of the GREAT Spectrometer
in April. GREAT, for German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz
frequencies, is a high-resolution far-infrared spectrometer that
finely divides and sorts light into component colors for
detailed analysis. On June 23, the SOFIA observed the dwarf
planet Pluto as it passed in front of a distant star. This
event, known as an occultation, allowed scientific analysis of
Pluto and its atmosphere by flying SOFIA to an exact location
where Pluto's shadow fell on Eart