In a message dated 8/9/99 7:56:48 AM EST, gwsears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
(Ref: SR-71)
> It seems that they were
> replaced by satellites.
>
I think they brought a couple back after retirement. (and on it's
retirement flight from California to Virginia it set a speed record! Sort of
a "screw you!" to the generals that retired an "obsolete" aircraft! Very
embarrassing to the Pentagon). You can't cover every inch of the world yet
with spy satellites. 20 years ago I think the cost figure was $150,000 per
hour of flight time. (which is why the cost-cutters retired them). You needed
to manufacture, store, and load the special fuel onto a tanker specially for
the flight. A lot of man-hours for each flight, too.
George S.
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