At Mach 3, friction with the atmosphere raised the SR-71’s skin temperatures to a searing 500 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to make the fuselage glow red. Despite being retired a generation ago, the ...

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works has been publicly discussing the SR-72 "Son of Blackbird" — a hypersonic reconnaissance and strike aircraft designed to fly at Mach 6, nearly twice the speed of the ...

Explore the incredible achievements of the SR-71 Blackbird, a legendary reconnaissance aircraft renowned for its speed, altitude, and pioneering technology.

The SR-71 Blackbird was the world's fastest jet. Capable of of flying as high as 85,000 feet at Mach 3.3 (2,193.2 mph), the Blackbird was used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. It ...

Walter Watson was the first and only African-American to qualify as a crewmember in the SR-71. Hear from this amazing aviator. This video was a part a full episode of STEM in 30 titled "Shhhhh. The ...

Watch the impressive engineering in this in-depth tour of the SR-71 Blackbird's jet engine and you'll see an extraordinary reconnaissance aircraft that still impresses despite taking its first flight ...

The SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest aircraft ever built, was ultimately done in by the Air Force’s most notorious and intractable enemy: budget cuts. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird remains one of the most ...

What was it like to fly in the SR-71 Blackbird? Hear first hand from Walter Watson, the only African American to fly in the Blackbird program. For more FREE teacher resources from the Smithsonian’s ...