SOFIA is a 747SP aircraft equipped with a 2.5-meter infrared telescope.

The House Science, Space and Technology Committee quickly approved the NASA Authorization Act of 2014 (H.R. 4412) by voice vote April 29, sending the policy-heavy bill — which sets no funding guidelines for appropriators — to the House floor.

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Dan Leone is the NASA reporter for SpaceNews, where he also covers other civilian-run U.S. government space programs and a growing number of entrepreneurial space companies. He joined SpaceNews in 2011.Dan earned a bachelor's degree in public communications...