Bill Shatzer wrote:

UffDa! wrote:

Jay Honeck wrote:


There are two more Blackbirds (pause for reverence) parked at the
north end
of the Edwards tarmac in the NASA section. One of those birds is
now at
McMinnville under the right wing of the Spruce Goose.


Speaking of Blackbirds, did you know that two of them are unaccounted
for? The Roadrunners (a fraternity of former Blackbird pilots,
crewmembers, workers, etc.) have done an excellent job of listing where
each SR-71 ever built has ended up -- and come up two short.


Rumor has it that they're still flying...but no one knows, for sure.


Given that we have no equivalent replacement I would expect them to be
used.


Of course there's an equivalent replacement - they're orbiting several
hundreds of kilometers up and go by names like KH-12, Improved Chrystal,
Indigo, LaCrosse, Vega, and likely a half a dozen other names still
classified.

The SR-71 was retired because there's no need for its capabilities any
longer. Everything the SR-71 could do can now be done cheaper and better
(and more safely) by satellites.

Peace and justice,


Balderdash.
It was retired on pure economic reasons.

The satellites may give good picture, but what you want is a picture
while the other guy has his pants down.

A satellite is as predictable in its path as the stars in the heavens.

Satellites generally don't carry enough fuel for the huge delta-V's
required to work the bird on an irregular schedule.

That's the one thing the Blackbirds could do that nothing else could.

Suddenly.
Arrive.
And then be long gone...

Smile, you're on candid camera!