Emergency landing in Stuttgart: Lufthansa Jumbo diverted due to snow!

On January 5th, a Lufthansa Boeing 747 landed at Stuttgart Airport. The plane was originally traveling from Mexico City to Frankfurt. Due to snow, freezing rain and strong winds, landing in Frankfurt was not possible, so the Boeing was diverted to Stuttgart. The stay in Stuttgart lasted several hours before the plane continued its flight to Frankfurt in the evening of the same day Schwäbische.de reported.

Meanwhile, a converted Boeing 747 SP, known as Sofia, is visiting Stuttgart Airport. Sofia is the only flying observatory in the world and a German-American project with a 17-ton infrared telescope on board. The telescope will remain at the airport until Wednesday. During a measurement flight, a 4x5 meter flap in the fuselage of the aircraft opens to allow a view of the stars. However, the flap remains closed due to bad weather, as the telescope cannot be operated in rain and high humidity Stuttgart News reported.

Weather sensitive telescope

The telescope's 2.7-meter mirror and 350 sensors are particularly sensitive to weather conditions. The telescope is stationed in Palmdale, California, where temperatures are often high. When used, it has to withstand temperatures of minus 60 degrees Celsius at an altitude of 13 to 14 kilometers. Before each use, the telescope is cooled down to at least minus 40 degrees. The entire Sofia project has a budget of around 700 million euros, of which NASA finances 80 percent. The German Aerospace Center will cover the remaining costs. An operating period of at least 20 years is planned. The Sofia Institute in Stuttgart manages scientific operations in Germany and sends 15 to 20 employees to the USA. Professor Alfred Krabbe, who heads the German Sofia Institute, emphasizes the scientific value of the telescope.