What ever hapened to the SR-71 spy plane?

Question

i know it was retired a long time ago, but why?

Answer 1

I never knew it was retired...

Answer 2

In addition to all the above answers, the SR-71 was developed during the cold war for overflights of the Soviet Union. After the Cold War, there was really no necessity for such an aircraft.

Answer 3

The reason was because spy satellites. Over the last decade presidents Clinton and Bush have declassified older spy satellite programs such as "Corona". As of the 1980's Corona had visual and radar imagining with resolution greater than 6 inches, which is several times better than what you see on google earth.  

There have been several confirmed and suspected programs since corona, but the information is extremely limited.

Answer 4

Obsolete.  Maintenance costs were getting too high.  This plane, although very advanced was built in the 60s.  It could have been upgraded, but the airframe was getting worn out.

There are other reconnaissance options that more than fill the void.

Answer 5

fuel costs were too high.

satellites took over

it didn't have a bathroom

Answer 6

The SR-71 line was in service from 1964 to 1998, with 12 of the 32 aircraft being destroyed in accidents, though none were lost to enemy action.  A general misunderstanding of the nature of aerial reconnaissance and a lack of knowledge about the SR-71 in particular (due to its early secretive development and usage) was used by its detractors to discredit the aircraft. In 1988, Congress was convinced to allocate $160,000 to keep six SR-71s (along with a trainer model) in flyable storage that would allow the fleet to become airborne within 60 days. The USAF refused to spend the money. The decision to release the SR-71 from active duty came in 1989.  Due to increasing unease about political conditions in the Middle East and North Korea, the U.S. Congress re-examined the SR-71 beginning in 1993.

The reactivation met much resistance: the Air Force had not budgeted for the aircraft, and UAV developers worried that their programs would suffer if money was shifted to support the SR-71s. Also, with the allocation requiring yearly reaffirmation by Congress, long-term planning for the SR-71 was difficult.   In 1996, the Air Force claimed that specific funding had not been authorized, and moved to ground the program. Congress reauthorized the funds, but, in October 1997, President Bill Clinton used the line-item veto to cancel the $39 million allocated for the SR-71. In June 1998, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the line-item veto was unconstitutional. All this left the SR-71's status uncertain until September 1998, when the Air Force called for the funds to be redistributed. The plane was permanently retired in 1998. The Air Force quickly disposed of their SR-71s, leaving NASA with the two last flyable Blackbirds until 1999.  All other Blackbirds have been moved to museums except for the two SR-71s and a few D-21 drones retained by the NASA Dryden Research Center

Answer 7

satellites can do the job better

NASA still has one and uses it time to time

Answer 8

the airforce retired them(I guess not needed anymore). But NASA has 2 I believe they still operate for research reasons

Answer 9

The SR71 was too expensive too keep, logistically. Contracts for the spare parts for on-board systems were skyrocketing in the 1980's. It's as simple as that. I know several people who worked the logistics side of the house.

And satellites cannot do the job of the SR71 did when clouds were present or a satellite wasn't in position. Regardless of what they do in movies, we don't move satellites at will. We have to wait for their orbit path to be in position.

Answer 10

Taken from the all powerful Wikipedia:  

"In the 1970s, the SR-71 was placed under closer congressional scrutiny and, with budget concerns, the program was soon under attack. Both Congress and the USAF sought to focus on newer projects like the B-1 Lancer and upgrades to the B-52 Stratofortress, whose replacement was being developed. While the development and construction of reconnaissance satellites was costly, their upkeep was less than that of the nine SR-71s then in service."

Hope that helped.

Answer 11

Satellites - THEY say - butt as many times as it got shot @ , it never was hit , I think  they have a faster one. IF they could build a SR-71 in 1965 , imagine what they probably have now - maybe in area 51..