You are correct. And the Space Shuttle was nothing without the strap-on rockets, unlike the Blackbird which I admire.
I saw the first Space Shuttle launch from US 1 in Titusville. I saw in person the Challenger explosion from Melbourne, FL. I saw two shuttle night launches from the VIP area at Kennedy Space Center.
I saw a Saturn 5 in the Vehicle Assembly Building for a moon flight.
I regret that I never saw a SR-71!
My favorite SR-71 story (which I read here on Free Republic) dealt with a craft that did an unauthorized low-level pass over a retired RAF field. some Some sort of scout troop was visiting the base and had been promised “a special visit” by some aircraft during the day. Apparently, the effort it took to bring the craft so low and slow (so that buildings weren’t subjected to a sonic boom) for an approach not intended for a landing brought it close to a stall.
True or not, it was a story I read here!
Two paintings on my office wall next to the 71 is “Lightship” - a night launch. Another is “Cape Winds” (shuttle creeping on a transporter towards the pad & tower).
Made many trips to T’ville back in the early 90’s (a GF was the sister-in-law of the Shuttle Simulator chief engineer). With all the trips there and special access I never saw a launch - all postponed and I had to get back to work in Alaska - bummer. But it sure was interesting and fun.
While I knew Bill I never saw a 71 in flight - only on the ground.
I was lucky enough to have twice viewed SR-71s in flight... both at Edwards, both NASA operated. The first was while visiting (then) Dryden Flight Research Center... the main building had a map of the dry lake bed and runways painted on the roof to orient the visitors. While we were on the roof, an SR-71 departed... um... that was loud. The second wasn’t during the Edwards AFB air show a few years later... great air show that year: first public F-22 flight, B2 demonstration, x-15 pilots on hand answering questions, and a SR71 Mach 3 flyby... a speck darting across the sky that was long gone by the time the boom hit us. Have not been as lucky with launches... delayed the one time I was in the neighborhood with access.