A Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird aircraft has disappeared after being on display at a NASA facility for over 26 years. NASA's administrator has hinted at a new X-plane project with a similar appearance to the Blackbird, raising questions about the connection between the missing aircraft and the announced development.
The SR-71A spy plane has disappeared from a California base since May 2026, coinciding with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's hints at rebuilding experimental X-planes and a silhouette resembling the legendary aircraft. The historic Blackbird, which once flew at Mach 3.2 and served as a research platform for extreme-flight technologies, may be involved in NASA's renewed focus on advanced flight research.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman teased plans for a new high-speed X-plane with an SR-71 Blackbird-like silhouette, and an SR-71 on display at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center has disappeared since May. The aircraft, tail number 844, was the last Blackbird produced and last flew in 1999; satellite imagery confirms it has not been seen in months, raising speculation about a potential return-to-flight program.