SOFIA telescope mounting on a large segmented air bearing

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) telescope concepts are briefly discussed, and a new air-bearing design philosophy is presented. The telescope mounting system inside the hull of a Boeing 747 SP aircraft encompasses a large spherical air-bearing which supports the telescope in the rear bulkhead of the aircraft cavity in order to make it independent of the rotary movements of the airplane and to isolate it from aircraft vibrations through an additional vibration isolation system.