Tower of Liza

The big question is why? Why is NASA rebuilding the SR 71 so It will fly again? Excitement? To break the existing speed record that was made in 1976? Or just because it’s cool; nothing’s cooler than a Blackbird🚀 Nothing else in NASA’s current fleet can routinely cruise near Mach 3.2 at around 80,000+ feet. In the 1990s NASA used its SR-71s (including 844, which was strengthened for the LASRE linear-aerospike experiment) for high-speed aerodynamics, propulsion, thermal materials, instrumentation, and sonic-boom work. A revived jet would sit in the gap between ordinary supersonic flight and true hypersonic test vehicles, and could carry large payloads or even air-launch experiments. Do you remember the MD 21 that was a Blackbird that could launch a drone. Perhaps NASA is going to launch something new? • High-speed flight is a current priority for both civil aeronautics and national-security research. A flying Blackbird would be a reusable bridge platform while newer designs are developed. These are a few ideas of what NASA is possibly up to Remember, you heard it here first. From a Habubrat Linda Sheffield (a daughter of Habu)