NASA plans to unveil a brand-new experimental aircraft at its Max Power aerospace expo at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida this weekend, agency Administrator Jared Isaacman said. However, Isaacman noted that the forthcoming X-plane is distinct from a famous retired reconnaissance jet that recently vanished from public view.
Speaking on an episode of NASASpaceflight’s “The Flame Trench” podcast released Friday, Isaacman affirmed his agency’s commitment to expanding flight research, TWZ reported. Isaacman stated that NASA would reveal the new project during the Florida exposition, which runs from Nov. 6 through Nov. 8.
“I will give you some insight that we will announce a new X-plane at it, and it is not the one you’re thinking about,” Isaacman said on the program, according to TWZ. “I am gonna deliver on the promise there will be more X-planes.”
Questions surrounding a missing Blackbird
The announcement follows months of intense aviation industry speculation regarding NASA’s SR-71 Blackbird, tail number 844. The aircraft, which served as the world’s final flying Blackbird before its retirement in 1999, was previously on display at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Earlier this year, the jet was removed from public exhibition, prompting rumors that NASA might be preparing to return it to active service as a high-speed flight testbed.
Speculation intensified in September after Isaacman displayed a silhouette resembling a Blackbird during an industry conference, while asserting that NASA intended to fly “high and fast again.” When asked directly on the podcast by educator Eric Johnson whether tail number 844 had been powered on, Isaacman laughed off the inquiry.
“So, we’re just cleaning it, man,” Isaacman said, according to TWZ. “It was so dusty out there in the desert, and it just felt like it needed a cleaning.”
Aviation experts, including former NASA SR-71 engineer Tim Conners, told TWZ that reviving a Mach 3.5 capable platform could serve as an invaluable real-world testbed for high-speed propulsion systems that cannot be adequately evaluated through computer modeling alone. However, returning such a sophisticated vintage platform to the skies would demand massive technical and financial resources.
Revitalizing experimental flight
Isaacman, who became NASA administrator in December 2025, has repeatedly pushed to expand the agency’s portfolio of experimental planes. His aeronautics agenda includes the Aeronautics Flight Accelerator initiative and agency budget proposals tailored toward supersonic and hypersonic research.
During the podcast, Isaacman noted that he recently visited the Armstrong center to celebrate Troy Asher taking over as facility director, joking about the variety of retired test jets housed there, such as the X-29 and F-16XL, as well as the active U.S. Air Force X-62A testbed.
The agency’s current flagship aeronautics project, the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology aircraft, will also be featured at the Max Power expo. Built to test designs that significantly soften sonic booms over land, the X-59 has completed 41 test flights since its maiden flight in October 2025, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 1.53 and altitudes of 56,000 feet, TWZ reported.
What to watch at Max Power
The Max Power air show and expo will open its public gates on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8, at Kennedy Space Center, according to a NASA press release. Along with aeronautical flight displays, the event will feature commercial autonomous vehicles, lunar rovers, and spacecraft mockups.
NASA also scheduled a live news conference for Saturday afternoon to deliver operational updates on its Moon Base initiative, which serves as a long-term research outpost near the lunar South Pole. Details regarding the exact specifications, mission goals, and timeline of the newly promised X-plane remain unannounced ahead of the official weekend presentation.
