Aurora - a Famous Speculative Project

[Whisperstream]

I think Ben Rich was lying. I don't believe the funding was ATB related, but was for something else Lockheed was ankle deep into, and it wasn't a go fast platform.

Ben Rich wasn't the only person to say this. A leading hypersonics expert and consultant to military and industry, who is in a position to know, also made this claim. Most important, Adelbert "Buz" Carpenter (who came up with the AURORA name) has explained what it was for. It's not really a matter for debate any more.

 

[Dew]

Ben Rich wasn't the only person to say this. A leading hypersonics expert and consultant to military and industry, who is in a position to know, also made this claim. Most important, Adelbert "Buz" Carpenter (who came up with the AURORA name) has explained what it was for. It's not really a matter for debate any more.

Could I perhaps ask your opinion on quite what is referred to in the following :

"In his UK Restricted minute ‘Wrap Up of UAP Material’ dated 22 March 2000 the report’s author – a retired RAF scientist – refers to a collection of slides and photographs that he consulted in the MoD’s archive.

The UK Restricted memo that refers to a D-Notice issued in the 1990s on the Astra/Aurora project (Copright: Dr david Clarke)

These contained images of the ‘ASTRA/AURORA‘ project –[speculative] a top secret, hypersonic Cold War spyplane. [/speculative]

The author goes on to note ‘there was a Press D-Notice issued at the time‘.

The rerference, at least, is not hokum and is a matter of record; images of which referenced much earlier in this thread.

 

[sublight_]

Ben Rich wasn't the only person to say this. A leading hypersonics expert and consultant to military and industry, who is in a position to know, also made this claim. Most important, Adelbert "Buz" Carpenter (who came up with the AURORA name) has explained what it was for. It's not really a matter for debate any more.

So out of all the counter intelligence around all of the special access programs he managed, he decided to come forward on just this one and clear the air once and for all? I don't find this credible.

 

[Whisperstream]

So out of all the counter intelligence around all of the special access programs he managed, he decided to come forward on just this one and clear the air once and for all. I don't find this credible.

It wasn't particularly secret, so nobody seems to have any real heartburn about discussing it. Even the tern AURORA was an unclassified nickname despite being one of the rare single-word examples.

 

[Whisperstream]

Could I perhaps ask your opinion on quite what is referred to in the following :

The UK Restricted memo that refers to a D-Notice issued in the 1990s on the Astra/Aurora project (Copright: Dr david Clarke)

These contained images of the ‘ASTRA/AURORA‘ project –[speculative] a top secret, hypersonic Cold War spyplane. [/speculative]

The rerference, at least, is not hokum and is a matter of record; images of which referenced much earlier in this thread.

I believe the MOD, like everyone else at the time, simply adopted the name "AURORA" for the hypothetical hypersonic platform. "Aurora" became shorthand for something that people speculated about. Some were convinced it was really the name for a hypersonic aircraft, but for others it was just a term to use that made discussions easier. It's like when a brand name evolves into a generic descriptive term. Examples abound: Band-Aid, Post-It Note, Bubble Wrap.

 

[quellish]

In the early 1990s there were several FOIA requests made to NRO and USAF concerning "Aurora". NRO issued a "Glomar" response consistently. USAF told the requestor to ask NRO in one instance, and in another issued a "Glomar" response.

Which surprises me, as whatever "it" was, it almost certainly was not named Aurora. But there could have been some other NRO program with that name (though in this specific case, I doubt it).

 

[Dew]

I believe the MOD, like everyone else at the time, simply adopted the name "AURORA" for the hypothetical hypersonic platform.

Thank you for your reply. I had almost removed the section I had marked [speculative] from the post as that was not within the report itself, but added by Dr Clarke as a narrative in context with his article. (i.e. the report does not refer to it as a hypersonic project)
Whatever it is that the MoD’s report apparently had (redacted) pictures of, they presumably felt comfortable identifying them as the project they were aware of being named ‘ASTRA/AURORA’. I believe the section of the report referred to contained pictures (except maybe this redacted item?) of real projects. At least all the un-redacted pictures are of known, real projects.

 

[Hood]

How likely is it that the MoD would have a photo/slide of a top-secret USAF hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft that they would have in an image library?
I somehow doubt that the USAF would decide to share images of a highly classified project to anyone, even the UK without a sound reason. And if they had of sent images then somewhere there would probably be a stash of technical information to go with them.

I've seen too many AIR files at Kew reliant on cut-outs from Aviation Weekly and Flight to doubt that 'intelligence' wasn't much more than browsing the aeronautical press at times.

 

[publiusr]

As for "skyquakes" I think the DMSP guys or the late Doug Reville and his infrasound guys could have had data on that. SMU thought a quark nugget did a linear earthquake but it turned out to be a false reading...

 

[Dew]

How likely is it that the MoD would have a photo/slide of a top-secret USAF hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft that they would have in an image library?

The minute which refers to 'remaining ASTRA/AURORA photos and 35mm slides' makes no claims as to it's classification, nationality, operating speed or role.

I've seen too many AIR files at Kew reliant on cut-outs from Aviation Weekly and Flight to doubt that 'intelligence' wasn't much more than browsing the aeronautical press at times.

It makes no sense that the redacted pictures from the 'Black and other Aircraft - Western Programmes' section from the declassified report are press clippings, although some of the other images used certainly are!

 

[Q-nimbus]

There will be a series of articles published on the new platform. When I say platform here I mean new website / service.

How is this new website coming along? I’m really looking forward to read the articles.