LANCASTER, Calif., Dec. 19 (UPI) -- An airborne telescope scientists hope will help uncover the origins of the universe completed a milestone test flight in California, officials said.
The modified 747 jet, named the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, flew for more than an hour at Edwards Air Force base, NASA announced Saturday.
It marked the first flight with the doors covering the telescope fully opened.
"Today we opened the telescope cavity door, the first time we have fully exposed the telescope," said Bob Meyer of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Dryden Flight Research Center. "This is a significant step toward certifying NASA's next great observatory for future study of the universe."
Two more test flights are scheduled for early 2010 to prepare the telescope assembly for the first flight with the telescope operating.
SOFIA is a joint venture of NASA, which provided the airplane, and the German Aerospace Center. The telescope was built in Germany.
