NASA working to bring the SR 71 back to fkight status

[Archer Archer]

New reporting from Aviation Week is indicating that NASA has quietly launched an effort to return SR-71A NASA 844 to flight, the same Blackbird that made the final flight of any SR-71 on October 9, 1999.

The aircraft was removed from its longtime outdoor display at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center earlier this year and moved into a hangar, where it was reportedly inspected.

According to Aviation Week, NASA has also contacted several former SR-71 personnel about helping with the effort. Two former Blackbird test engineers confirmed they had been approached.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has recently said the agency is rebuilding its X-plane portfolio and wants NASA flying higher and faster again. At AirVenture, when asked whether he had the power to bring the SR-71 back, Isaacman replied, “That’s classified.”

NASA has not officially confirmed that the return-to-flight project exists. When asked about 844, the agency said it had no additional information to share regarding the aircraft at this time.

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

This was brought up a week or so ago on TWZ.

Will be interesting to see what it will take, how long will be required, and how much money to bring a bird that's been static back to life after 27 years.

 

[KAL-EL]

That bird was fierce. Far ahead of anything anyone else had

 

[Watandar]

What a huge waste of money. This beast was ruinously expensive and superseded by satellites. Why bring it back ?

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

What a huge waste of money. This beast was ruinously expensive and superseded by satellites. Why bring it back ?

That's classified.

In all seriousness, there may be reasons to bring one back to life none of which could be accomplished through the use of satellites.

 

[F-22Raptor]

SR-71 is the most beautiful aircraft ever built

 

[Oscar]

That's classified.

In all seriousness, there may be reasons to bring one back to life none of which could be accomplished through the use of satellites.

There are reasons which most uninformed folks think can be done by sats vs fixed wing assets. Same reason the U-2 still lumbered on and why weather balloons are still used for espionage.

However, I think the Blackbird is being bought back for research into sustained hypersonic/supersonic as a testbed.

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

There are reasons which most uninformed folks think can be done by sats vs fixed wing assets. Same reason the U-2 still lumbered on and why weather balloons are still used for espionage.

However, I think the Blackbird is being bought back for research into sustained hypersonic/supersonic as a testbed.

Agreed.

Which then begs the question of the D-21 and if one or more of those will be brought back to flying status.

The last time I saw those was 1982 at DMAFB.

 

[Oscar]

Agreed.

Which then begs the question of the D-21 and if one or more of those will be brought back to flying status.

The last time I saw those was 1982 at DMAFB.

M-21 was pretty purpose built and that thing overstressed an already heavily stressed airframe.
For the most part you could put a whole host of instrumentation into the jet and get the most important data.

What I am interested is isnt so much in finding spares and so on - but JP-8 - that was VERY purpose created and was limited to perhaps 1 facility with the other never operational. That would be seriously expensive.