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Former SR-71 engineer talks NASA's Blackbird revival program

110 points · 76 comments · rkagerer

gaigalas · 1791086277 · focus · HN ↗
When I see this, I can only think of modern high-altitude balloons. My gut tells me the SR-71 would be an ideal interceptor for that new threat (despite not being an interceptor itself).
The balloon issue cannot be addressed by any modern US aircraft, and spending expensive missiles on low cost balloons seems like wasting money and resources.
We'll know soon.
1. bigyabai · 1791087911 · focus · HN ↗
  The service ceiling of the SR-71 is still well beneath the altitude of a modern balloon. The speed isn't necessary, and it's altitude record has been beaten by other modern jets.
  If we're spitballing solutions, balloons are slow, fragile and move in relatively predictable paths. An F-15 could reach the same altitude, and launch it's own balloon with a small solid-fuel booster that also corrects the trajectory. If the interceptor balloon could get within 1-2km of the target balloon, then a cheap kinetic weapon firing HEI projectiles might be enough to destroy it.
  1. gaigalas · 1791092723 · focus · HN ↗
    The F-15 can climb 30,000 feet.
    <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-15_Eagle" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-15_Eagle
    That is the lower bound of what modern high-altitude balloons can reach. Back in 2023 multiple balloons were observed much higher than that up to 50,000 feet.
    <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_high-altitude_object_events_in_2023" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_high-altitude_object_e...
    This is still in the lower spectrum for such balloons. BS 13-08 reached 176,000 feet back in 2013 (there is reason to believe spy balloons would not go that high though).
    <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-altitude_balloon" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-altitude_balloon
    So, you're wrong. There is no US aircraft that can reach them (unless they drop low as they did in 2023). The US likely wants to hit them before they go low.
    The SR-71 is uniquely suited for this task, having reached up to 90,000 feet during testing. It was specially made for some kind of hybrid space war possibility (not balloons, but something high up there).
    bigyabai · 1791095090 · focus · HN ↗
    You misread your source: the F-15 can climb 30,000 feet in 60 seconds - the service ceiling is closer to 60,000 feet officially, and 90,000 under ideal conditions:
    <a href="https://theaviationgeekclub.com/how-the-f-15-streak-eagle-broke-eight-time-to-climb-world-records/" rel="nofollow">https://theaviationgeekclub.com/how-the-f-15-streak-eagle-br...
    By "same altitude" I was referring to the SR-71. I do not know what the payload capacity was for either aircraft in the 90,000ft testing conditions, but for interception missions there are more important metrics.

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