Aurora - a Famous Speculative Project

If you remember the Firefox aircraft, Lockheed and Northrop were involved with that concept. It should be noted that Firefox's nose has a striking similarity to the F-117 (faceting) which was still classified at the time. The aft part of the aircraft had some Northrop influence probably from older Northrop concepts, specifically the early Loral concept. The TGM Darkstar aircraft could be a teaser to something already flying, I assume larger and maybe in a slightly different but similar configuration?
The NG NATF, the YF23 version that we were testing and re configuring in the tunnel, had some features and resemblance to the Firefox. That's what we jokingly called it. The darkstar in TG maverick was way too small, it would not carry enough fuel to meet a tanker. Made for good movie story-line.
 
If unsettlingly clear information tangential to a black project started getting discussed on a forum like this, would there be one or two respected members here who would guide away/explain away conversations happening? Maybe deride the very discussion that was happening?
Sometimes I wonder about this too. Looking at you, Kat.
 
How about everyone who actually *knows* anything truly related to this topic and is not under any silly USG gag order puts their cards on the table and spills the beans instead of just playing coy? I am so sick and tired of the sophomoric innuendos in this thread. Put up or shut up.
 
This may be off topic but I was an engineer working in Pasadena, when the local paper broke the story on the seismic tracking of flying objects returning from the Pacific range. I believe it was a real story and caught the operators of whatever it was off guard. The story disappeared instantly IIRC. To me, the items important in that story were as follows. 1- the seismograph system in southern California could track flying objects in 3D. 2-Each object of different configuration generated a unique signature. 3-The system could give approximate dimensional values. 4-The system could give approximate gross weight values.
So there is a stealth proof system for tracking and identifying pretty secure from any sort of "spoofing". Could this concept have been developed into a space dropped system of micro-seismographs into suspicious areas that could give early intel warnings of developing, and using any type of aerial system?
ArtieBob
 
This may be off topic but I was an engineer working in Pasadena, when the local paper broke the story on the seismic tracking of flying objects returning from the Pacific range. I believe it was a real story and caught the operators of whatever it was off guard. The story disappeared instantly IIRC. To me, the items important in that story were as follows. 1- the seismograph system in southern California could track flying objects in 3D. 2-Each object of different configuration generated a unique signature. 3-The system could give approximate dimensional values. 4-The system could give approximate gross weight values.
So there is a stealth proof system for tracking and identifying pretty secure from any sort of "spoofing". Could this concept have been developed into a space dropped system of micro-seismographs into suspicious areas that could give early intel warnings of developing, and using any type of aerial system?
ArtieBob
I remember hearing rumors about the same story as well after relocating to Southern California in the late past millennium - I believe there may even have been a related AW&ST article about it at the time?
 
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If I had to explain the acoustics using my favorite bit of woo…I’d say those ripples came from Louis Franks puffball micro comets:)
 
quite a few according to this KC-135 boom operator

[URL
If unsettlingly clear information tangential to a black project started getting discussed on a forum like this, would there be one or two respected members here who would guide away/explain away conversations happening? Maybe deride the very discussion that was happening?
From what I remember from reading about the “Aurora Project” that the plane basically flew very high and could basically bounce off the atmosphere causing greater speed. Tom Clancy wrote about it. He had his ear to the pentagon back in the 80’s. His books were fictional but his description of US military equipment and doctrine were spot on. Watch the interview of Caspar Weinberger Reagan’s Sec of Def talk about the similarities and accuracy of his books. He also stated he Clancy had better “spies.” Read “Red Storm Rising” it’s basically the playbook of what Russia is doing in Ukraine. Quite a few similarities.
unfurl="true"]https://jalopnik.com/confessions-of-a-usaf-kc-135-flying-gas-station-boom-op-1578048155[/URL]

his assigned with SCI clearance was mid to late 2000s assigned to Edwards….

cheers
 
Yeah Tom Clancy is an interesting guy. Had very interesting friends BTW. Important names to follow if you want epicenters of information (more importantly disinformation, and much more of it). John B. Alexander was one of Clancy's friends and contacts.

You can actually find a lot of strange and dark things about our government and MIC from these people. The name I mentioned is rather important. If you want to have some sleepless nights look into him for a little while.
 
Beautiful Aurora art. Thought this needed to be placed here. Found the art of Aurora without the story from the magazine it was featured in.
 

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Beautiful Aurora art. Thought this needed to be placed here. Found the art of Aurora without the story from the magazine it was featured in.
View attachment 707864
Nice!

A cropped version appears on the cover of Bill Sweetman's Aurora: The Pentagon's Secret Hypersonic Spyplane, Motorbooks 1993. The artist is credited as Kerry Leslie.
 
They never claimed it was a full scale prototype did they though? Could have just been a subscale demonstrator.
I seem to remember it (the prop) was sized/scaled to fit the available filming location/hangar
 
Found these online. Looks like Aurora to me but I've been having trouble finding the studies these belong to. The second image was featured in Bill Sweetman's Aurora book.

Link to where I found the first image: https://www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/blog/?p=740
 

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There is a retro picture of Lockheed's black aircraft that shows the Aurora but in an SR-72 like design. There is a huge possibility that the upcoming real life SR-72 demonstrator is actually the Aurora in said picture. Or it might be one of the Auroras(every Aurora aircraft in the Aurora program has a complete different airframe) that will be and must be disclosed since it's now low-tech(or still high but then again low tech) and the fact that it's still top secret for 38 years. Or it might be project DOLOS(the extension project of project Aurora) but, the real answer is that the SR-72(nor its demonstrator) won't happen anytime soon. PS: Compare it with the Darkstar. Almost exactly the same.
 
There is a retro picture of Lockheed's black aircraft that shows the Aurora but in an SR-72 like design. There is a huge possibility that the upcoming real life SR-72 demonstrator is actually the Aurora in said picture. Or it might be one of the Auroras(every Aurora aircraft in the Aurora program has a complete different airframe) that will be and must be disclosed since it's now low-tech(or still high but then again low tech) and the fact that it's still top secret for 38 years. Or it might be project DOLOS(the extension project of project Aurora) but, the real answer is that the SR-72(nor its demonstrator) won't happen anytime soon. PS: Compare it with the Darkstar. Almost exactly the same.
Sources?
 
I'll send the source of the site I found. At least understand that it's been 38 years now since Aurora was first heard and seen.
*DO NOT* merely *send* the link - post it right here out in the open. But if it doesn't end either in .gov or lockheedmartin.com, don't even bother.
 
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*DO NOT* merely send the link - post it right here out in the open. But if it doesn't end either in .gov or lockheedmartin.com, don't even bother.
Actually let's just face the fact that we need the Aurora to go public, it's been 38 years and 8-ish months. I won't even send the link, this is for Lockheed Martin to understand that all illegal operations are from their black project aircraft.
 

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