Dec 5 1992
From The Space Library
Paul Beaver, editor of the military affairs magazine Jane's Defense Weekly, said in an interview that the U.S. Air Force was operating a new generation of secret spy planes capable of reaching eight times the speed of sound. Code-named "Aurora," the plane was believed to operate at night and to incorporate the latest radar-evading technology. Pentagon officials denied that such an aircraft existed or was contemplated. For years, some scientists and aviation fans had speculated that a successor to the famed SR-71 "Blackbird" spy plane was under development and testing. (The Sun, Dec 6/92; W Post, Dec 12/92)
Astronomers protested plans by the American military to launch a satellite carrying a Russian nuclear reactor in a test for the "Star Wars" antimissile defense system. The astronomers said radiation from the reactor could disrupt operations of several important present and future science missions in space, as had happened in the past with Soviet nuclear-powered satellites. The scientists were seeking the support of NASA in trying to halt or modify the test flight. (NY Times, Dec 6/92; W Post, Dec 6/92; C Trib, Dec 6/92)
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