On: NASA asked several former SR-71A staffers to help secret restart

[cryptonector]

Why though? We have spy sats galore. We have drones galore. Why build or re-certify a spy plane? What can we get from such an expensive project that we can't get much more cheaply in other ways?

[whartung → cryptonector]

It’s not a spy plane. It a mach 3 test plane.

They clearly feel it’s cheaper/faster to get this working than to try and create a new mach 3+ aircraft.

With 25 years of new tech maybe they can push it even faster.

[EA → cryptonector]

NASA did not use the SR-71 for the purposes you stated.

NASA's SR-71 was used for high altitude and high speed science projects.

[stronglikedan → cryptonector]

There's obviously valid answers to your questions, but good luck getting the clearance to know the answers.