Two-Stage-to-Orbit ‘Blackstar’ System Shelved at Groom Lake?

This is definitely going to be grist for the mill of the late-night Coast-to-Coast AM show’s UFO and conspiracy buffs! (But hey, just because I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean they aren’t really out to get me, right?)

SPACEPLANE SHELVED?

For 16 years, Aviation Week & Space Technology has investigated myriad sightings of a two-stage-to-orbit system that could place a small military spaceplane in orbit. Considerable evidence supports the existence of such a highly classified system, and top Pentagon officials have hinted that it’s “out there,” but iron-clad confirmation that meets AW&ST standards has remained elusive. Now facing the possibility that this innovative “Blackstar” system may have been shelved, we elected to share what we’ve learned about it with our readers, rather than let an intriguing technological breakthrough vanish into “black world” history, known to only a few insiders. U.S. intelligence agencies may have quietly mothballed a highly classified two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane system designed in the 1980s for reconnaissance, satellite-insertion and, possibly, weapons delivery. It could be a victim of shrinking federal budgets strained by war costs, or it may not have met performance or operational goals.

This is highly interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, the fact that we have the technology on-line to do this is a good thing. Secondly, it’s interesting that this large of a program can be implemented and funded effectively “off the books”. Finally, the Chief has to wonder, what do we have NOW, since we can affort to abandon THIS program just as we did with the SR-71 Blackbird when this one came on line.

The speculation is fun to do: maybe the rumored Aurora space plane is a better solution to the same technological need in the form of an SSTO (single-state to orbit) vehicle using a hybrid turbojet/scramjet/rocket package. One can only hope so!