Aurora (aircraft) Facts for Kids

An artist's picture of the Aurora aircraft

The Aurora (sometimes called the SR-91 Aurora) is a secret aircraft that might or might not exist. Many people believe it was a super-fast surveillance aircraft, meaning it was designed to spy on other countries. It was supposedly built to test hypersonic flight, which means flying at speeds more than five times the speed of sound. That's incredibly fast!

The name "Aurora" first appeared in 1985 on a list of military projects in the United States. This made people wonder if it was a real, top-secret plane. Some think it was meant to replace the famous Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, another very fast spy plane.

Aurora sightings
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Aurora sightings

Even though the Aurora's existence is a mystery, some people claim to have seen it. These sightings have helped fuel the idea that the plane is real.

Early sightings

One of the most talked-about sightings happened in 1989. A man named Chris Gibson was working on an oil rig in the North Sea. He reported seeing a KC-135 Stratotanker (a large refueling plane) with two F-111 Aardvark jets. What was unusual was a strange, triangle-shaped aircraft that was also refueling with them. He didn't know what the mystery plane was, but it didn't look like any known aircraft.

Sonic booms and engine sounds

In 1991, people in Southern California started hearing many loud sonic booms. A sonic boom is a sound like thunder that happens when an aircraft flies faster than the speed of sound. These booms were often heard late at night or early in the morning. People also reported hearing a strange pulsing sound from the engines of an unknown aircraft. This sound was different from regular jet engines.

Recent reports

The idea of the Aurora continued to be discussed for many years. The most recent public sighting or report linked to the Aurora was in 2006. These sightings and strange sounds have kept the legend of the Aurora alive.