Space Eyes See Back In Time

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The amazing images and scientific knowledge that comes from advances in astronomy, astrochemistry and (someday) astrobiology wouldn’t be possible without ever-increasing advances in electronic micro-devices and technology. This appreciation was re-enforced by Zaheer Ali, Senior Manager for the USRA Science and Mission Operations, in his DesignCon 2020 keynote address about NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and other camera, spectroscopy and related measurements. His visually stunning presentation started with the earliest single pixel detectors that first measured the intensity of stars, to the microchips that first imaged the pillars of the universe, and also looked at the newest cutting-edge devices that are going to be launched soon. What follows are portions of his talk.