‘Son of Blackbird’: SR-71’s successor set for 2025 takeoff

Lockheed Martin’s highly secretive SR-72 hypersonic aircraft is slated to take its first flight in 2025, advancing its bid to surpass the legendary SR-71 as the world’s fastest operational plane.

This stealthy unmanned vehicle aims to reach astonishing speeds over Mach 6, and to achieve such velocity, Lockheed has developed a novel combined cycle propulsion system that shifts from jet to scramjet high-speed functions. This revolutionary hybrid engine could finally realize routine hypersonic flight. Learn more about ‘Son of Blackbird’ in today’s Must Read.

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Believed to be in development for the U.S. Air Force, Lockheed’s SR-72 aims to hit astonishing speeds over Mach 6 using a hybrid turbofan-scramjet propulsion system. This could enable intelligence gathering and strike roles even against formidable air defenses, recalling the SR-71’s effectiveness at outrunning missiles during its Cold War tenure.

As the first aircraft combining normal jet engines for takeoff and landing with high-speed scramjet functions, the SR-72 intends to push aeronautical barriers as much as its famous predecessor did. The hypersonic plane may provide vital rapid response capabilities by the 2030s, and with progress apparently on track, the SR-72 stands ready to claim the manned Blackbird’s crown as the fastest air-breathing craft in the skies.

SpaceX launched its first six Starlink satellites featuring direct mobile device connectivity, enabling texting and voice services without ground relays. The breakthrough “direct-to-cell” technology intends to eliminate coverage gaps globally, even in remote disaster sites, using modified phones. While initial speeds stay modest, SpaceX plans hundreds more upgraded satellites in 2023 before commercial services launch in late 2024 in partnership with T-Mobile. Learn how space infrastructure aims to conquer the last wireless frontier.

The highly anticipated technology event of the year - Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 - is a week away. The event, strategically placed in the first week of the year, allows companies to showcase their latest technologies after the holiday season. But more than anything, generative artificial intelligence, the talk of the town for the past year, is expected to take center stage. Let’s take a look at what we’re expecting at the event.

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