File A121-R-61-7980SR-71AArticle 2031

61-7980

SR-71A · Article 2031
NASA 844
See recordNot a simple story

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center (in hangar, not on public display since about May 2026)
Edwards AFB, California, USA · 34.95, -117.89

SR-71A 61-7980, flown by NASA as NASA 844, over the Tehachapi Mountains, California, in September 1992.
SR-71A 61-7980, flown by NASA as NASA 844, over the Tehachapi Mountains, California, in September 1992.NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility · 1992-09 · NASA EC92-09241-1 · Public domain (US government work) · Source
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman views SR-71A 61-7980 (NASA 844) at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, on 25 January 2026.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman views SR-71A 61-7980 (NASA 844) at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, on 25 January 2026.John Kraus, NASA · 2026-01-25 · NASA NHQ20260125_admin_0007 · Public domain (US government work) · Source

Record

61-7980
2031
SR-71A
2,353.6
25 September 1967
See fate
NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center (in hangar, not on public display since about May 2026), Edwards AFB, California, USA

Career

  • First flight 25 September 1967 with Lockheed chief project pilot Bob Gilliland
  • Final SR-71 flight of all: 9 October 1999, Edwards open house
  • Final flight was its 734th, bringing it to 2,353.6 flight hours (Carpenter timeline)
  • Transferred from USAF loan to NASA ownership July 1999
  • 2026: reported NASA effort to return it to flight

Fate

Last SR-71A built and the last Blackbird to fly: NASA 844 arrived at Dryden on 15 February 1990 and made the final SR-71 flight on 9 October 1999; displayed outside the center from September 2002. By May 2026 NASA had removed it from display into the former Space Shuttle hangar at Armstrong, where Aviation Week reports a return-to-flight effort; NASA has not confirmed.

In the chronology

15 Apr 1986SR-71s assess the Libya raid SENIOR CROWN
SR-71s from Det 4 at RAF Mildenhall flew bomb damage assessment sorties over Libya after the Operation El Dorado Canyon strikes, on 15, 16 and 17 April 1986.
15 Feb 1990NASA receives SR-71A 61-7980 NASA
SR-71A 61-7980 arrived at NASA Dryden as NASA 844, followed by 61-7971 (NASA 832) on 19 March 1990. NASA 844 was stored until 1992 and then served as NASA's research Blackbird until 1999.
31 Oct 1997LASRE aerospike experiment flies on NASA 844 NASA
NASA 844 (61-7980) first flew with the Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment, a 20 percent scale half-span X-33 lifting body with eight aerospike thrust cells mounted on its back, reaching Mach 1.2 and 33,000 ft. Seven research flights in all were flown; no in-flight hot firing took place because of liquid oxygen leaks, and the flight phase ended in November 1998.
9 Oct 1999Last flight of any Blackbird NASA
NASA research pilot Rogers Smith and flight test engineer Robert Meyer flew NASA 844 (61-7980) at the Edwards AFB open house air show, the last flight of any SR-71. The aircraft finished with 734 flights and 2,353.6 hours and was later put on outdoor display at NASA Armstrong (moved back into a hangar in 2026).
24 Sep 2026NASA 844 disappears from display Legacy
The War Zone reported that SR-71A 61-7980 (NASA 844), on outdoor display at NASA Armstrong since 2002, had been moved into a hangar earlier in 2026 and had not been seen in satellite imagery since at least 17 May 2026. Aviation Week reported a possible return-to-flight effort; NASA said only that it had 'no additional information to share regarding the aircraft at this time'.

Where the record disagrees

Status changing as of October 2026: NASA's only statement is '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.' Treat return-to-flight as reported, not confirmed. Moved to its display spot in front of Dryden on 14 September 2002 (habu.org). Total hours (2,353.6 over 734 flights) are from the Carpenter timeline only. Coordinates are the Armstrong center (Wikipedia).

Sources

  1. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. NASA Facts FS-2008-6-030-DFRC: SR-71 Blackbird. Open · Archived · In the register
  2. Aviation Week & Space Technology. NASA Asked Several Former SR-71A Staffers To Help Secret Restart (29 Sep 2026). Open · Archived · In the register
  3. The War Zone. An SR-71 Blackbird Has Vanished (Updated, 24 to 25 Sep 2026). Open · Archived · In the register
  4. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org), via Internet Archive. SR-71A #61-7980 gallery page (archived copy). Open · In the register
  5. 1000aircraftphotos.com. SR-71A Blackbird (No. 844). Open · Archived · In the register
  6. Habu.org. 61-7980 (Blackbird Photo Archive). Archived copy · In the register
  7. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org), via Internet Archive. SR-71 Locations (archived copy, lists serial / Lockheed article number and fate). Open · In the register
  8. Roadrunners Internationale. A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events (Carpenter, June 2010). Open · Archived · In the register