Last week, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s unique Boeing 747 made its final journey to its permanent home at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. The now-retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) aircraft flew its final flight from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California, to Tucson's Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in December.

The Deutsches SOFIA Institut (DSI) at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, which has played an integral role in the aircraft's life, has been working to remove valuable parts from the plane before it is integrated into the museum. The institute has been responsible for preparing and executing the SOFIA science operation in Germany since 2004, according to Aviacionline.

A one-of-a-kind airplane

The aircraft is a heavily modified version of Boeing's 747SP, carrying a reflecting telescope observatory. NASA's engineering innovations enabled a large door in the fuselage to remain open while the aircraft was in flight, allowing the telescope to make several discoveries with infrared light from the Moon, planets, star-forming regions, and nearby galaxies.

SOFIA was towed last week from the Air Base to the Pima Museum and was reportedly transported on dirt roads for a portion of its journey, lasting around three hours. During its move, officials also had to close other roads to the general public.

NASA's Boeing 747 SOFIA aircraft being towed at Tucson’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
Photo: Deutsches SOFIA Institut (DSI)

On April 28th, 2022, NASA and the German Space Agency announced that they would stop operating SOFIA, despite being advised against it by German and American scientists. After eight years, the jetliner completed its science program and ended operations on September 29th.

Paul Hertz, Senior Advisor for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA's Headquarters in Washington, said the aircraft would continue to make an impact during its retirement.

“The SOFIA mission has a powerful potential to inspire, from its discoveries about the unknown in our universe, to the engineering achievements that broke new ground, to the international cooperation that made it all possible. We are excited SOFIA will continue to engage a diverse new generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers.”

Retired but valuable

In October, SOFIA made its first and last appearance at the Aerospace Valley Air Show at Edwards Air Force Base. Last month, the DSI removed several of the plane's German hardware components to be shipped back to Germany, including the telescope's secondary mirror and the Focal Plane Imager, the primary camera on the observatory.

NASA's Boeing 747 SOFIA jetliner flying above the Sierras.
Photo: NASA

Other essential components and instruments of the plane will be removed and sent back to Germany, with some planned to be placed in another museum and others to be possibly used in future projects.

Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today.

Resting in the desert

According to NASA, the agency needed to follow regulations for the disposition of excess government equipment to determine a new home for SOFIA. Pima's Air & Space Museum is one of the world's largest aerospace museums, with 80 acres of ground for outdoor displays and six hangars with more than 425 aircraft from around the world. The museum also has a restoration facility for historical aircraft.

The museum is home to other noteworthy airplanes, such as the first Super Guppy that transported Saturn V rocket parts for the Apollo missions and the KC-135 "Weightless Wonder V" that was known for creating low-gravity conditions by flying parabolic arcs. NASA said it plans to support the exhibition of the SOFIA aircraft with additional mission artifacts that speak to the jetliner's legacy.

Sources: Aviacionline, NASA