NASA Recruits Former SR-71A Staff for Secret Blackbird Restart Project

NASA Initiates SR-71A Reactivation

NASA has begun a secret project to return a Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird, specifically Tail No. 844, to flight. This aircraft has been out of service for nearly 27 years, having last flown on October 9, 1999. The initiative involves recruiting former SR-71A test engineers and staff to provide expertise for the complex undertaking.

Recruitment of Former Experts

Mike Relja, a retired U.S. Air Force and NASA test engineer for the SR-71A, was approached by David Ash, NASA's special projects director, to assist with the project. Although Relja expressed skepticism due to the aircraft's long dormancy and lack of equipment, he confirmed that crews are actively working on the SR-71A inside a hangar at Edwards AFB.

Aircraft Relocation and Inspection

Commercial satellite imagery indicates that the SR-71A (Tail No. 844) was removed from its display pole at the Armstrong Flight Research Center on Edwards AFB sometime between April and May of this year. The aircraft was subsequently moved into the hangar that previously housed the Space Shuttle at Edwards, where an inspection and subsequent work by NASA crews commenced.

Hints of a New X-Plane

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman publicly hinted at a new X-plane project during the All-In Summit in September. He displayed an image featuring the distinctive outline of the SR-71A, suggesting that NASA may be planning to develop a modern X-plane based on the Blackbird's design. This aligns with the agency's broader goal of developing new X-planes for aeronautical breakthroughs.