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Aviation Week reports that NASA offered work to former SR-71A staffers as crews began inspecting Tail No. 844, a Blackbird taken down from display at Edwards Air Force Base. NASA has not confirmed a plan to return the aircraft to flight, and the aircraft’s age, missing equipment and depleted parts supply pose major obstacles.
NASA has approached former SR-71A staff about helping restore Tail No. 844, a retired Blackbird that the agency removed from a display pole at Edwards Air Force Base and moved into a hangar, according to Aviation Week. The reported effort could return the aircraft to flight after nearly 27 years out of the air, but NASA has not confirmed that a flight project exists.
Former NASA test engineer Mike Relja told Aviation Week that David Ash, a special projects director hired by NASA in June, asked him to provide expertise for the effort. Aviation Week also reported that NASA approached former test engineer Tim Conners and others over the summer. Two former test engineers confirmed that job offers were made, the publication said.
Commercial satellite imagery reviewed by Aviation Week indicates that Tail No. 844 was removed from its display pole sometime early in 2026, before May 17 and possibly before April. Relja said NASA employees moved the aircraft into a hangar at the Armstrong Flight Research Center, where crews had begun work by the time Ash contacted him in August. The aircraft had been on display since around October 9, 1999, the date of its final flight.
NASA has not explained the aircraft’s removal or confirmed a return-to-flight program. Asked about the aircraft, an agency spokesperson told Aviation Week: “We recognize the interest in the SR-71 and its remarkable history at NASA but have no additional information to share regarding the aircraft at this time.”
A Difficult Return to Flight
If NASA intends to fly Tail No. 844, the work would involve more than repairing an aircraft that has sat outdoors for decades. The SR-71A was built for speeds above Mach 3 and relied on specialized engines, fluids, fuel and ground equipment. Relja told Aviation Week that the aircraft’s cavities may contain water and sand, while its engines may have gone decades without the maintenance procedures once required to keep them ready.
The effort would also test NASA’s stated aim of reviving its experimental aircraft program. Administrator Jared Isaacman has described a broader push to rebuild the agency’s X-plane fleet and pursue major aeronautics advances. A flight by an original Blackbird could draw attention to that agenda, but the available reporting does not establish whether Tail No. 844 is intended as a research aircraft, a demonstration platform or part of another project.
The Blackbird at Edwards
Tail No. 844 is a former NASA-operated Lockheed SR-71A. Its last flight in 1999 also marked the final flight of any Blackbird, according to the source report. The aircraft then spent nearly 27 years mounted on a display pole near the Armstrong center at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
NASA’s current interest comes as Isaacman promotes a renewed aeronautics research program. Speaking at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles on September 12–14, he showed an image whose silhouette prompted speculation about a new X-plane based on the Blackbird’s shape. Aviation Week says retired NASA employees believe the image relates to the existing SR-71A, rather than only a new design. Isaacman did not publicly explain the image’s connection to Tail No. 844.
The practical hurdles are substantial. Relja said a $600 million stock of Blackbird spare parts was destroyed by the Air Force and NASA in 2007. He also said the aircraft would require specialized supplies, including JP-7 fuel, triethylborane ignition chemical, engine oil and hydraulic fluids, as well as purpose-built carts and other ground equipment that are no longer available.
““When we were operational, if we had a spare engine, every 90 days we had to rotate the engine. Every 180 days, we had to run it to keep it as a ready spare. Now you’re talking about engines that have been sitting for 30-plus years.””
— Mike Relja, speaking to Aviation Week
NASA Has Not Confirmed a Project
The key uncertainty is whether NASA has formally authorized a return-to-flight project. The agency has not confirmed one, and it has not stated what crews are doing inside the hangar, what the aircraft’s inspection found, or whether the goal is to fly Tail No. 844. Relja said Ash assured him that the logistical problems could be addressed but did not provide details.
It is also unclear how much of the aircraft can be restored, whether suitable parts and ground equipment can be sourced or rebuilt, and what the work would cost or how long it might take. The report relies in part on accounts from former staff and satellite imagery; NASA has not independently confirmed the timeline or described the work.
Watch for NASA’s Next Details
The next meaningful development would be a statement from NASA confirming the project’s purpose, scope and status. Further information about the aircraft’s inspection and the work underway could clarify whether crews are assessing Tail No. 844 for possible flight or carrying out another form of restoration.
Until the agency provides those details, a return to flight remains a reported possibility rather than a confirmed NASA plan. Any timetable, budget, flight crew or research mission is also unknown.
Key Questions
Has NASA confirmed it plans to fly the SR-71A again?
No. NASA has not confirmed a return-to-flight project and told Aviation Week it had no additional information to share about the aircraft.
Which Blackbird is involved?
The aircraft is Tail No. 844, a former NASA-operated SR-71A removed from a display pole at Edwards Air Force Base and moved into a hangar, according to Aviation Week.
Who did NASA approach?
Aviation Week reports that NASA approached former test engineers Mike Relja and Tim Conners, along with other former SR-71A staffers, about jobs on the effort.
Why would restoring the aircraft be difficult?
Relja cited decades without flight, possible exposure to water and sand, engines long out of service, destroyed spare-part stocks, and a lack of specialized fuel, fluids and ground equipment.
Source: hn
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