4 ms·

I know you're being glib but I assume the reason we didn't do any more Blackbirds is because normal satellite imagery got good enough that it didn't make as muc

I know you're being glib but I assume the reason we didn't do any more Blackbirds is because normal satellite imagery got good enough that it didn't make as much sense to keep building these crazy things. Does anyone remember that satellite photo Trump leaked of that iranian missile silo? https://www.npr.org/2019/08/30/755994591/president-trump-tweets-sensitive-surveillance-image-of-iran https://www.npr.org/2019/08/30/755994591/president-trump-twe... This one ^ I'm just guessing that if they showed it to Trump unprompted in a briefing, it's unlikely that this is max zoom. And it's already crazy clear. And the article mentions: "Hanham also says that the European company Airbus has been experimenting with drones that fly so high, they are technically outside the atmosphere and thus operating outside national boundaries. But she says she doesn't know whether the U.S. has such a system." So I think we just got a bit better at radar deflection and flying really high to where the Blackbird doesn't make sense anymore.

dsfyu404ed 4y ago
>satellite imagery "This one cool trick makes spy agencies hate him" https://www.harborfreight.com/tarps https://www.harborfreight.com/tarps
- scottyah 4y ago
  That only helps if you're trying to hide the paint job of the object under the tarp
JustSomeNobody 4y ago
> I know you're being glib ... Yes. But I truly believe we lost something with the dependence on computers for everything.
closewith 4y ago
> I know you're being glib but I assume the reason we didn't do any more Blackbirds is because normal satellite imagery got good enough that it didn't make as much sense to keep building these crazy things. Most likely because of cost and missile technology catching up. After all, the U2 is still in active service, so the satellites aren't a perfect replacement.
Arrath 4y ago
To be fair, we still fly recon missions with the U-2. Spy planes haven't entirely gone the way of the dodo, just the envelope-pushing madness that was the SR-71.

dsfyu404ed 4y ago

>satellite imagery "This one cool trick makes spy agencies hate him" https://www.harborfreight.com/tarps https://www.harborfreight.com/tarps

scottyah 4y ago
That only helps if you're trying to hide the paint job of the object under the tarp

JustSomeNobody 4y ago

> I know you're being glib ... Yes. But I truly believe we lost something with the dependence on computers for everything.

closewith 4y ago

> I know you're being glib but I assume the reason we didn't do any more Blackbirds is because normal satellite imagery got good enough that it didn't make as much sense to keep building these crazy things. Most likely because of cost and missile technology catching up. After all, the U2 is still in active service, so the satellites aren't a perfect replacement.

Arrath 4y ago

To be fair, we still fly recon missions with the U-2. Spy planes haven't entirely gone the way of the dodo, just the envelope-pushing madness that was the SR-71.