Tools and Methods to Optimize the Analysis of Telescopic Performance Metrics on SOFIA

Flight time (in seconds) Lo ad , A ve v s Li ne s 1, 2 , 3 Background During each flight, the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) collects a variety of data from sensors located on the Telescope Assembly (TA). SOFIA flies a 2.5 meter infrared telescope moving 600 miles per hour at an altitude of 45000 feet. The performance of the science equipment on these flights is critical for successful missions. SOFIA missions study the galactic center as well as new star formations.