Alan Rhodes, Project Manager
I work on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Basically, we bought a 747, cut a hole in the side, and stuck a telescope in the hole and we fly it all over the world observing super-distant galaxies, planet forming regions around new born stars, the evolution of the oceans on Venus, and attempting to observe Jupiter tearing geysers of water out of the moon Europa! I help manage and bring new science instruments to SOFIA on cost and schedule to allow us to upgrade our technology to the latest and most sensitive detecting technology. It’s a way to help put all of the pieces together so we can take those next leaps into the universe and look at all the mysteries we haven’t even begun to explore yet.
NASA is the only organization that can make what seems like an impossible task—like putting a telescope inside of a 747—become reality. It’s that willingness to look beyond to find innovative and inventive uses for equipment that exists today that have allowed us to open windows into our universe that were not available before programs like SOFIA! We use creativity, insight and experience to collaborate with teams around the world to tackle what seem like unsolvable problems and come up with ways to explore our universe on a daily basis. I have never been given more broad leeway to use creativity to find solutions to problems than I have here – mostly because no one has any idea how to solve the problems we face! And that is the beauty of this adventure…it is beyond fun!
