3-07
Sebastian Colditz
Universität Stuttgart
Making a case for “quick” upgrades of SOFIA capabilities
The goal of this presentation is to put a focus on one of SOFIA’s key strengths as a mature platform for airborne astronomy in comparison to satellite projects: serviceability and upgradability. Due to a lack of instrument technology development funding and a strong focus on Facility Science Instrument development, this key strength has been underutilized.
This presentation highlights two examples of initial case studies to fast-track impactful upgrades to SOFIA capabilities within periods shorter than the typical five years anticipated for the development of full Facility Science Instruments. These are examples how limited upgrade projects may have outsize cost benefits within a few years or provide crucial new science capabilities on shorter time scales.
The first example is the development of an XL-Secondary Mirror for SOFIA, allowing ~10% faster observing for many observations and an overall initial efficiency gain for the observatory of 3%, which is expected to grow as new instruments and observing modes are commissioned.
The second example shows a possible route how the investments already made for the next generation science instrument HIRMES and the investments towards new detector technology developments could be leveraged in a focused development for a pure HD detection instrument (HIRMES pHD) – quickly bringing a highly desired new observational capability to the observatory, while building experience with new detector technology and instrument concepts.
