The SOFIA Observatory at the Start of Routine Science Operations : Mission capabilities and performance

TL;DR

The paper reports on the initial comprehensive assessment of SOFIA's performance during engineering flights, highlighting improvements, capabilities, and characterization of image quality, stability, and sensitivity to guide future upgrades.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed performance evaluation of SOFIA, including pointing stability, image quality, and capability assessments, informing future development.

Findings

Improved pointing stability with active mass damper system

Characterized shear layer and cavity seeing effects

Assessed image quality and sensitivity across wavelengths

Abstract

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has recently concluded a set of engineering flights for Observatory performance evaluation. These in-flight opportunities are viewed as a first comprehensive assessment of the Observatory's performance and are used to guide future development activities, as well as to identify additional Observatory upgrades. Pointing stability was evaluated, including the image motion due to rigid-body and flexible-body telescope modes as well as possible aero-optical image motion. We report on recent improvements in pointing stability by using an active mass damper system installed on the telescope. Measurements and characterization of the shear layer and cavity seeing, as well as image quality evaluation as a function of wavelength have also been performed. Additional tests targeted basic Observatory capabilities and requirements, including pointing accuracy, chopper evaluation and imager sensitivity. This paper reports on the data collected during these flights and presents current SOFIA Observatory performance and characterization.