Kuiper Airborne Observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
The Gerard P. Kuiper Airborne Observatory was a national research facility operated by NASA, unusual among observatories for the fact that it flew.
About Kuiper Airborne Observatory
The observation platform was a highly modified Lockheed C-141A Starlifter jet transport aircraft, serial number 6110, registration N714NA, with the callsign NASA 714. It was built to support infrared astronomy research that ground-based telescopes could not perform, since Earth's atmosphere absorbs much of the infrared light before it reaches the surface.
Telescopes & research
Flying at altitudes of up to 48,000 feet (about 14 kilometres), above most of the atmosphere's water vapour, the aircraft had a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 kilometres), allowing it to carry an infrared observation platform to wherever it was needed for a given research campaign.
Location & getting there
The observatory's associated location, at Moffett Field in the United States, reflects its home base rather than a fixed observing site, since the facility itself was airborne.
See your named star from here
The Kuiper Airborne Observatory shows just how far astronomers will go, literally, to get a clearer view of the sky. Wherever you are on the ground, you can name a star of your own with Star Register and find it in our star catalogue.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
