Education partnerships at 41,000 feet: The stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) education and outreach program

The SOFIA Education and Public Outreach Program (E/PO) is under development as this unique astronomical observatory is being designed and constructed. SOFIA is an infrared astronomical observatory comprised of a 2.5-meter telescope mounted in a Boeing 747SP aircraft. By flying above the water vapor in Earth's atmosphere, SOFIA will observe the infrared universe, studying the birth place of stars, the formation of planets, and the ecology of galaxies. SOFIA is also the world's largest portable telescope, and will be used to observe events such as occultations that require the observatory be at a particular location on Earth. As an airborne observatory, SOFIA is accessible during research flights; SOFIA will carry on board a compliment of pilots, scientists and their graduate students, observatory staff, and visiting educators, members of the press, and other guests. Unique in the world of major observatories, SOFIA is being designed and constructed to accommodate guests during the research process. Educators (teachers, college faculty, planetarium and museum staff, and others) will have the opportunity to partner with scientists as a part of the E/PO program for SOFIA. Participants will be selected to offer broad participation. Training will be provided, and participants will be supported beyond the immediate research flight experience as a network of Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) in their schools, science centers, and communities. Other EPO activities include partnerships between scientists and educators at universities and research laboratories, internships and fellowships (1-2 years in duration) at the observatory. Research missions begin in late 2004 with AAA participation expected in 2005. SOFIA will be operated for NASA by Universities Space Research Association (USRA) with the USRA-led team: University of California, L3 Communications, United Airlines, Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the SETI Institute. SOFIA is a joint US-German project funded by NASA and the German Aerospace Center, DLR. The observatory that will conduct research missions for 20 years beginning in 2005.