There are two more articles about the Blackstar system in the subscription-only section of Aviation Week online.The cover of the print issue released today shows a XB-70-like aircraft releasing a small spaceplane.

* Secret Spaceplane May Have Suffered Damage During Air-Launch: Air-dropped spaceplane described as a transatmospheric 'boost-glide' vehicle:
- More about sightings made by "fighter pilots, civilian contractors and an Air Force security police officer"
- The system is also referred to as "Black Magic," "Speedy" and "XOV" (experimental orbital vehicle)
- One F-15 pilot in 1994 at Holloman AFB "watched activities [on the ground] associated with the XOV/spaceplane for some time" and made a detailed drawing
- He described a "A 90-100-ft.-long, highly swept-winged, blended and contoured lifting body. "
- The description of the propulsion system seems consistent with linear aerospike engines.
- The vehicle appears also to use solid rocket boosters.
- This pilot's observation occurred not long after an incident in which several fighter pilots carrying out exercises near Okinawa were diverted to make way for an "aircraft in distress" to land at Kadena AB. The Okinawa base was locked down and later it was heard that a "fat" C-5 went to the north Pacific and returned to Holliman. The pilot may have seen the craft brought back for repairs after a launch mishap.

* Spaceplane 'Mothership' Resembles 1960s' XB-70 Bomber Prototypes: Spaceplane 'mothership' closely resembles 1960s Mach 3 bomber prototypes
- Eye-witness description of the XB-70 "mothership"
- The XB-70"Valkyerie" program was canceled in 1964 but warehouses full of materials and engines for the vehicles were never reported scrapped.
- Originally only 2 of the Mach three XB-70 vehicles were built. One was destroyed in a crash and the other is in the USAF National Museum
- The article suggests that two updated versions of the XB-70s called SR-3 were built to act as carriers for a spaceplane orbiter.
- This sounds like alt.space gospel:

Overall, a two-stage-to-orbit system wouldn't have been technologically difficult to develop, according to aerospace veterans. A former NAA test pilot says, "We could have done it in the 1950s. The only reason we didn't was the expendable [rocket] guys got out ahead of us--and the rest is history."