[Red Badger]

They retired it.
What do they have now that is faster?......................................

[steve8714]

Satellites. better cameras are cheaper than better planes.

[dinodino]

Aurora

[CommerceComet]

What do they have now that is faster?

I'm sure that with modern engineering, a faster plane could be developed but for what purpose? Satellites can do the job better than a plane can.

[right way right]

I think it became obsolete besides, and the fuel tanks leaked too.

[Sirius Lee]

What do they have now that is faster?......................................

Small cameras and monitoring devices dropped directly onto the sites by that funny looking Space Shuttle wannabee.

[READINABLUESTATE]

“On Mar. 6, 1990, SR-71 Blackbird S/N 61-7972 (tail number #972) made its final flight from AF Flight Test Center Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, to Washington DC to be retired and put on display at The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

During that flight, pilot Lt. Cols. Ed Yielding and RSO (Reconnaissance Systems Operator) Joseph Vida set a speed record flying from LA to DC (2299.7 statute miles) in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging 3,418 km/h (2,124 MPH).”

[al baby]

Aurora?

[nevergore]

Missles can now reach it’s altitude and exceed it’s speed...

[T.B. Yoits]

What do they have now that is faster?

A web search of "donuts on a rope" will pull up some good articles on hypersonic pulse jet aircraft.