Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Posted on 09/25/2026 6:06:24 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
...satellite imagery shows the jet has not been seen since at least May 17. The aircraft in question, which originally carried the U.S. Air Force serial number 61-7980, was the last Blackbird produced and the last one to fly, taking to the skies for the final time in 1999.
NASA has now provided TWZ with the following statement in response to our queries for more information about SR-71 tail number 844:
“NASA has a long history of pushing the boundaries of experimental aviation, and we continue to explore opportunities to build on that legacy. As Administrator Isaacman has said, we want to see NASA flying higher, farther, and faster than we have in decades. We recognize the interest in the SR-71 and its remarkable history at NASA but have no additional information to share regarding the aircraft at this time.”
(Excerpt) Read more at twz.com ...
|
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
—”It really is in bad taste to “advertise” an image in your title”
Not that I would be known for good taste, but nothing to get your undies in a bunch.
Have a nice day.
Does NASA use the same numbering system?
“NASA 844, aka N844NA, aka, 61-7980, the final SR-71 built. Also, the very last SR-71 to fly, making its last flight Oct 9, 1999 at Edwards AFB. Yes, this is one of two SR-71s that had a civilian N number, the other being the 2 seat trainer, 956.”
Thanks for giving us the big picture!
I was a meteorology tech stationed in England ‘73-‘75. We got a request for weather conditions over the Atlantic out to Iceland. The forecaster read out the info and then requested a pilot report. The pilot obliged but failed to note his altitude and location. When asked, he replied CLASSIFIED. We assumed it was an SR-71.
Official speed and altitude have never been released. But they waved to Gemini capsules as they passed….. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
A buddy of mine was a WSO on those way back when.
The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was designed by legendary American aerospace engineer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson and his team at Lockheed’s Skunk Works division.
Salute
I'd read the reason is that satellite photography has become so advanced, we no longer need spy planes.
re: Looking at that shadow. Space alien?
That’s the blackbird 😉
Actually we have lots of spy planes. They are regular craft with the right monitoring equipment AWACS etc.
Great story!
Excellent story. Thanks for posting.
Great story - thanks for sharing.
“The real story is why don’t we make a new one and the sad answer is that we probably can’t, such is our decline from greatness.”
____________________________________________________________
The Blackbird was made during the Cold War, when strategic assets had a virtually unlimited budget. Once we developed smaller and more powerful intelligence satellites, as well as “drones” like the Global Hawk and Reaper series, there was no longer the need to maintain the Blackbird fleet.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.