{"id":18844840,"date":"2026-09-01T10:50:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T08:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T08:43:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T06:43:32","slug":"nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Goes Shopping for a New Jet"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:30px;padding:0 8.9px;font-size:13px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta svg{width:16px;height:16px}\n.mfsh-overlay{position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(15,23,32,.55);z-index:99999;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;justify-content:center;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open{opacity:1;pointer-events:auto}\n.mfsh-sheet{width:100%;max-width:520px;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;padding:18px 20px 28px;transform:translateY(24px);transition:transform .22s;box-shadow:0 12px 32px rgba(15,23,32,.25);font-family:inherit;max-height:92vh;overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open .mfsh-sheet{transform:none}\n@media (min-width:640px){.mfsh-overlay{align-items:center}.mfsh-sheet{padding-bottom:20px}}\n.mfsh-head{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin:0 0 14px}\n.mfsh-head strong{font-size:18px;font-weight:800;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-head strong svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-close{background:none;border:0;padding:6px;margin:0;cursor:pointer;color:#0F1720;line-height:0;box-shadow:none}\n.mfsh-close svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-preview{display:grid;grid-template-columns:96px 1fr;gap:12px;border:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:#F5F7FB;padding:10px;margin:0 0 12px;align-items:center}\n.mfsh-preview img{width:96px;height:72px;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-kicker{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5C91FF;margin:0 0 4px;line-height:1.2}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-title{font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;margin:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-list{display:grid;margin:0;padding:0}\n.mfsh-item{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:14px;height:50px;width:100%;border:0;border-top:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:none;padding:0 4px;margin:0;text-align:left;font-family:inherit;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;color:#0F1720;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-item:hover,.mfsh-item:focus-visible{background:#F5F7FB;outline:none}\n.mfsh-item svg{width:20px;height:20px;color:#5C91FF;flex-shrink:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-item small{margin-left:auto;color:#5B6674;font-weight:500;font-size:12px}\n.mfsh-item.mfsh-done svg{color:#1E9E5A}\n.mfsh-toast{position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:32px;transform:translate(-50%,10px);background:#0F1720;color:#fff;padding:10px 16px;font-weight:700;font-size:13px;font-family:inherit;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s,transform .2s;z-index:100000}\n.mfsh-toast.mfsh-show{opacity:1;transform:translate(-50%,0)}\n@media (prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.mfsh-overlay,.mfsh-sheet,.mfsh-toast,.mfsh-trigger{transition:none}}\n<\/style>\n<svg width=\"0\" height=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-share\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M12 3v12M8 7l4-4 4 4M5 12v8h14v-8\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-close\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"m5 5 14 14M19 5 5 19\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-wa\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 2a10 10 0 0 0-8.6 15.1L2 22l5.1-1.3A10 10 0 1 0 12 2Zm0 1.8a8.2 8.2 0 1 1-4.2 15.3l-.3-.2-3 .8.8-2.9-.2-.3A8.2 8.2 0 0 1 12 3.8Zm-3 4.4c-.2 0-.5 0-.8.4-.3.3-1 1-1 2.4s1 2.8 1.2 3c.1.2 2 3.2 5 4.4 2.5 1 3 .8 3.5.7.5 0 1.7-.7 2-1.4.2-.7.2-1.3.1-1.4l-.5-.3-2-1c-.3 0-.5-.1-.7.2l-.9 1.1c-.2.2-.3.2-.6.1-.3-.2-1.3-.5-2.4-1.5-.9-.8-1.5-1.8-1.7-2-.2-.4 0-.5.2-.7l.4-.5.3-.5v-.5l-.9-2.2c-.2-.5-.4-.5-.6-.5H9Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-x\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M17.8 3h3l-6.7 7.7L22 21h-6.2l-4.8-6.3L5.4 21h-3l7.2-8.2L2 3h6.3l4.4 5.8L17.8 3Zm-1.1 16.2h1.7L7.4 4.7H5.6l11.1 14.5Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-fb\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M13.5 22v-8h2.7l.4-3.2h-3.1V8.8c0-.9.3-1.6 1.6-1.6h1.7V4.4c-.3 0-1.3-.1-2.5-.1-2.5 0-4.1 1.5-4.1 4.2v2.3H7.4V14h2.8v8h3.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-li\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 8.5H3V21h3.5V8.5ZM4.8 3a2 2 0 1 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0-4ZM21 13.4c0-3.4-1.8-5.2-4.5-5.2-1.6 0-2.7.8-3.2 1.7V8.5H9.9V21h3.4v-6.4c0-1.7.6-2.8 2.1-2.8 1.4 0 2 1 2 2.8V21H21v-7.6Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-rd\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M22 12.1a2.4 2.4 0 0 0-4.1-1.7 11.7 11.7 0 0 0-5.5-1.7l1-4.5 3.1.7a1.7 1.7 0 1 0 .2-1l-3.6-.8a.5.5 0 0 0-.6.4l-1.1 5.2a11.8 11.8 0 0 0-5.8 1.7A2.4 2.4 0 1 0 3 14.3v.5c0 3.4 4 6.2 9 6.2s9-2.8 9-6.2v-.5a2.4 2.4 0 0 0 1-2.2ZM7.5 13.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 3.4 0 1.7 1.7 0 0 1-3.4 0Zm8.9 4.5c-1.2 1.2-3.4 1.3-4.4 1.3s-3.3-.1-4.4-1.3a.5.5 0 0 1 .7-.7c.7.8 2.4 1 3.7 1s2.9-.2 3.7-1a.5.5 0 0 1 .7.7Zm-.6-2.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 0-3.4 1.7 1.7 0 0 1 0 3.4Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-tg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.9 4.6 18.7 19.9c-.2 1-.9 1.3-1.7.8l-4.9-3.6-2.3 2.3c-.3.3-.5.5-1 .5l.4-5 9-8.2c.4-.3-.1-.5-.6-.2L6.4 13.5 1.6 12c-1-.3-1.1-1 .2-1.5l18.8-7.2c.9-.3 1.6.2 1.3 1.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-mail\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"M3 6h18v12H3z\"\/><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"m3 7 9 6 9-6\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-link\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M10 14a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 0l3-3a4 4 0 0 0-5.7-5.7l-1.5 1.5M14 10a4 4 0 0 0-5.7 0l-3 3a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 5.7l1.5-1.5\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-more\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"19\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/symbol>\n<\/svg>\n<span class=\"mfsh-top-slot\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger\" data-mfsh-placement=\"top\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button><\/span>\n<script>\n(function(){\n  if (window.__mfsh) return; window.__mfsh = true;\n  var SECTION = 'afterburner';\n  function meta(p){ var m=document.querySelector('meta[property=\"'+p+'\"]'); return m ? m.getAttribute('content') : ''; }\n  function pageUrl(){ var c=document.querySelector('link[rel=\"canonical\"]'); return (c && c.href) || (location.origin + location.pathname); }\n  function pageTitle(){ var h=document.querySelector('h1.entry-title'); return (h && h.textContent.trim()) || meta('og:title') || document.title; }\n  function slug(){ return location.pathname.replace(\/\\\/+$\/,'').split('\/').pop() || 'home'; }\n  function kicker(){ var c=document.querySelector('.et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category tag\"], .et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category\"], a[rel=\"category tag\"]'); return 'Afterburner' + (c && c.textContent.trim() ? ' \u00b7 ' + c.textContent.trim() : ''); }\n  function shareUrl(ch, placement){ return pageUrl() + '?utm_source=share&utm_medium=' + ch + '&utm_campaign=' + SECTION + '&utm_content=sheet_' + placement; }\n  function track(ch, placement, extra){\n    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\n    var ev = { event:'share', share_channel:ch, share_variant:'sheet', share_placement:placement, page_section:SECTION, content_id:slug() };\n    if (extra) for (var k in extra) ev[k]=extra[k];\n    window.dataLayer.push(ev);\n  }\n  var CH = [\n    ['whatsapp','WhatsApp','mfsh-i-wa',''],\n    ['x','X','mfsh-i-x',''],\n    ['facebook','Facebook','mfsh-i-fb',''],\n    ['linkedin','LinkedIn','mfsh-i-li',''],\n    ['reddit','Reddit','mfsh-i-rd','r\/aviation, r\/WarplanePorn'],\n    ['telegram','Telegram','mfsh-i-tg',''],\n    ['email','Email','mfsh-i-mail',''],\n    ['copy','Copy link','mfsh-i-link',''],\n    ['native','More','mfsh-i-more','Instagram, Signal, AirDrop']\n  ];\n  var overlay, toastEl, toastT, placement = 'top';\n  function build(){\n    overlay = document.createElement('div'); overlay.className = 'mfsh-overlay'; overlay.setAttribute('role','dialog'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-modal','true'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-label','Share');\n    var img = meta('og:image');\n    var items = CH.filter(function(c){ return c[0] !== 'native' || !!navigator.share; }).map(function(c){\n      return '<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-item\" data-mfsh-ch=\"'+c[0]+'\"><svg><use href=\"#'+c[2]+'\"\/><\/svg>'+c[1]+(c[3]?'<small>'+c[3]+'<\/small>':'')+'<\/button>';\n    }).join('');\n    overlay.innerHTML = '<div class=\"mfsh-sheet\"><div class=\"mfsh-head\"><strong><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share<\/strong><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-close\" aria-label=\"Close\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-close\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-preview\">' + (img ? '<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"'+img+'\" alt=\"\">' : '<span><\/span>') + '<div><div class=\"mfsh-kicker\">'+kicker()+'<\/div><span class=\"mfsh-title\">'+pageTitle()+'<\/span><\/div><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-list\">'+items+'<\/div><\/div>';\n    document.body.appendChild(overlay);\n    toastEl = document.createElement('div'); toastEl.className = 'mfsh-toast'; document.body.appendChild(toastEl);\n    overlay.addEventListener('click', function(e){\n      if (e.target === overlay || e.target.closest('.mfsh-close')) { close(); return; }\n      var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-item'); if (b) act(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-ch'), b);\n    });\n    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ if (e.key === 'Escape') close(); });\n  }\n  function open(p){ placement = p || 'top'; if (!overlay) build(); overlay.classList.add('mfsh-open'); track('open', placement); }\n  function close(){ if (overlay) overlay.classList.remove('mfsh-open'); }\n  function toast(m){ toastEl.textContent = m; toastEl.classList.add('mfsh-show'); clearTimeout(toastT); toastT = setTimeout(function(){ toastEl.classList.remove('mfsh-show'); }, 1600); }\n  function act(ch, btn){\n    var url = shareUrl(ch, placement), t = pageTitle(), enc = encodeURIComponent;\n    if (ch === 'copy') {\n      var done = function(){ toast('Link copied'); btn.classList.add('mfsh-done'); setTimeout(function(){ btn.classList.remove('mfsh-done'); close(); }, 900); };\n      track(ch, placement);\n      if (navigator.clipboard && navigator.clipboard.writeText) navigator.clipboard.writeText(url).then(done, done); else done();\n      return;\n    }\n    if (ch === 'native') {\n      track(ch, placement, { share_result:'opened' });\n      navigator.share({ title:t, text:t, url:url }).then(function(){ track('native', placement, { share_result:'completed' }); close(); }).catch(function(){});\n      return;\n    }\n    var target = {\n      whatsapp: 'https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=' + enc(t + ' ' + url),\n      x:        'https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=' + enc(t) + '&url=' + enc(url) + '&via=MiGFlug',\n      facebook: 'https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=' + enc(url),\n      linkedin: 'https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=' + enc(url),\n      reddit:   'https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=' + enc(url) + '&title=' + enc(t),\n      telegram: 'https:\/\/t.me\/share\/url?url=' + enc(url) + '&text=' + enc(t),\n      email:    'mailto:?subject=' + enc(t) + '&body=' + enc('Thought you would like this, from Afterburner, MiGFlug\\'s magazine:\\n' + t + '\\n' + url)\n    }[ch];\n    track(ch, placement);\n    if (target) { if (ch === 'email') location.href = target; else window.open(target, '_blank', 'noopener,width=680,height=560'); }\n    close();\n  }\n  var mq = window.matchMedia('(min-width:981px)');\n  function place(){\n    var t = document.querySelector('.mfsh-trigger[data-mfsh-placement=\"top\"]'), slot = document.querySelector('.mfsh-top-slot');\n    var meta = [].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.et_pb_title_meta_container, .et_post_meta_wrapper .post-meta, .single .post-meta')).filter(function(m){ return m.offsetParent !== null; })[0];\n    if (!t || !slot) return;\n    if (meta && mq.matches) { meta.classList.add('mfsh-meta'); t.classList.add('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== meta) meta.appendChild(t); var a = meta.querySelector('a'); if (a) { var pr = document.createElement('span'); pr.style.cssText = 'display:inline-block;width:0;height:0;vertical-align:baseline'; a.appendChild(pr); var base = pr.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; pr.remove(); var fs = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(a).fontSize) || 14, mb = meta.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; t.style.bottom = Math.max(0, mb - (base + fs * 0.12)) + 'px'; } }\n    else { t.classList.remove('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== slot) slot.appendChild(t); }\n  }\n  if (document.readyState === 'loading') document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', place); else place(); window.addEventListener('load', place); if (document.fonts && document.fonts.ready) document.fonts.ready.then(place); window.addEventListener('resize', place);\n  if (mq.addEventListener) mq.addEventListener('change', place); else mq.addListener(place);\n  document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-trigger'); if (b) { e.preventDefault(); open(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-placement') || 'top'); } });\n})();\n<\/script><!-- \/mfsh:top -->\n\r\n\r\n<p>For more than sixty years, the sound of an astronaut heading to work has been the shriek of a Northrop T-38 Talon. Now NASA is starting to think about what comes next. The agency&rsquo;s Johnson Space Center has opened market research for a modern jet to replace the sleek white-and-blue trainers that have carried every astronaut class since Gemini.<\/p>\r\n<p>It is not a purchase, not yet &mdash; just a formal look at what industry can offer. But it marks the beginning of the end for one of the most iconic partnerships in American aviation: the space agency and its needle-nosed supersonic trainer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;padding:20px 24px;margin:24px 0;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#1a1a1a\">Quick Facts<\/p><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:15px\"><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Aircraft<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Northrop T-38 Talon (NASA T-38N variant)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Role<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Astronaut trainer and chase plane<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">NASA fleet<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">About 25 jets<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">In service since<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">The 1960s; every astronaut class since Gemini has flown it<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Engines<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Two afterburning General Electric J85 turbojets<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Performance<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Supersonic to ~Mach 1.6, above 40,000 ft<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Why replace<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Ageing airframes; USAF plans to retire the T-38 in 2030-2035<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Status<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">NASA Johnson Space Center market research underway<\/td><\/tr><\/table><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why the Talon, and why now<\/h2>\r\n<p>NASA flies roughly 25 T-38s, using them to keep astronauts sharp between missions and as chase planes for research flights. The jet is fast, demanding, and unforgiving in exactly the way spaceflight is &mdash; which is the whole point. Flying a high-performance aircraft forces astronauts to make fast, high-stakes decisions under real risk, a skill that transfers directly to the cockpit of a spacecraft.<\/p>\r\n<p>The problem is age. The Talon first flew in 1959, and NASA&rsquo;s fleet is increasingly hard to keep supported. With the U.S. Air Force planning to retire its own T-38s between 2030 and 2035, the supply chain that keeps NASA&rsquo;s jets flying is set to wither.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;modern high-performance jet aircraft to support astronaut spaceflight readiness training&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>NASA Johnson Space Center<\/strong> &mdash; market-research notice, 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>NASA&rsquo;s T-38N is a NASA-specific variant, distinct from the Air Force&rsquo;s T-38A\/B\/C, so the agency&rsquo;s needs do not automatically match the Air Force&rsquo;s move to the T-7A Red Hawk. That is exactly why Johnson Space Center is canvassing the market rather than simply buying whatever the Air Force picks.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/nasa-t-38-talon-shockwave-schlieren.jpg\" alt=\"Schlieren image of shockwaves around a NASA T-38\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A NASA schlieren image reveals the shockwaves streaming off a T-38 in supersonic flight. Photo: NASA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The end of an era, eventually<\/h2>\r\n<p>Whatever NASA chooses will have big shoes to fill. The T-38 is woven into the imagery of the space programme &mdash; astronauts in flight suits climbing into cockpits, chase planes formating on shuttles, the jets lined up at Ellington Field. Replacing it is less about horsepower than about heritage.<\/p>\r\n<p>For now, the Talons fly on. But the search has begun, and sometime in the 2030s a different jet will be the first thing a rookie astronaut straps into. After sixty years, that is a genuinely strange thought.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g1mFLX2yoIM\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: The War Zone; NASA Johnson Space Center; NASA.gov.<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/general-electric-j85-engine-178-million-extension-t-38\/\">$178 Million to Keep a 1965 Engine Alive<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/t-1a-jayhawk-final-air-to-air-vance-afb-retirement-2026\/\">One Last Photo Before the Boneyard<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Why is NASA replacing the T-38 Talon?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">NASA\u2019s T-38 fleet is ageing and increasingly hard to support. The Northrop T-38 first flew in 1959, and with the US Air Force planning to retire its own T-38s between 2030 and 2035, the supply chain that sustains NASA\u2019s aircraft is expected to wither.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What does NASA use the T-38 for?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">NASA flies roughly 25 T-38s to keep astronauts sharp between missions and as chase planes for research flights. Flying a demanding high-performance jet forces fast, high-stakes decisions under real risk, a skill that transfers directly to spacecraft operations.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How long has NASA flown the T-38?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Since the 1960s. Every astronaut class since Gemini has trained in the T-38, making it one of the most recognisable images of the American space programme, from flight-suited crews climbing into cockpits to chase planes formating on the Space Shuttle.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is the NASA T-38N?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The T-38N is NASA\u2019s own variant of the Talon, distinct from the Air Force\u2019s T-38A, B and C models. Because NASA\u2019s requirements differ, the agency is canvassing the market rather than simply adopting whatever replacement the Air Force selects.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Will NASA buy the T-7A Red Hawk?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Not necessarily. The US Air Force is replacing its T-38s with the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk, but NASA\u2019s needs do not automatically match the Air Force\u2019s. Johnson Space Center has opened market research to see what industry can offer.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How fast is the T-38 Talon?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The T-38 is supersonic, capable of about Mach 1.6 and able to operate above 40,000 feet. It is powered by two afterburning General Electric J85 turbojets, which is part of why it remains such effective training for spaceflight readiness.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is NASA replacing the T-38 Talon?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"NASA\u2019s T-38 fleet is ageing and increasingly hard to support. The Northrop T-38 first flew in 1959, and with the US Air Force planning to retire its own T-38s between 2030 and 2035, the supply chain that sustains NASA\u2019s aircraft is expected to wither.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What does NASA use the T-38 for?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"NASA flies roughly 25 T-38s to keep astronauts sharp between missions and as chase planes for research flights. Flying a demanding high-performance jet forces fast, high-stakes decisions under real risk, a skill that transfers directly to spacecraft operations.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How long has NASA flown the T-38?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Since the 1960s. Every astronaut class since Gemini has trained in the T-38, making it one of the most recognisable images of the American space programme, from flight-suited crews climbing into cockpits to chase planes formating on the Space Shuttle.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the NASA T-38N?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The T-38N is NASA\u2019s own variant of the Talon, distinct from the Air Force\u2019s T-38A, B and C models. Because NASA\u2019s requirements differ, the agency is canvassing the market rather than simply adopting whatever replacement the Air Force selects.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Will NASA buy the T-7A Red Hawk?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Not necessarily. The US Air Force is replacing its T-38s with the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk, but NASA\u2019s needs do not automatically match the Air Force\u2019s. Johnson Space Center has opened market research to see what industry can offer.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How fast is the T-38 Talon?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The T-38 is supersonic, capable of about Mach 1.6 and able to operate above 40,000 feet. It is powered by two afterburning General Electric J85 turbojets, which is part of why it remains such effective training for spaceflight readiness.\"}}]}<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After sixty years, NASA has begun the hunt to replace its iconic T-38 Talon astronaut trainers and chase planes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":18844388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18844840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>NASA Begins the Hunt to Replace Its T-38 Talon Jets<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After sixty years, NASA has opened market research to replace its iconic T-38 Talon astronaut trainers and chase planes.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NASA Begins the Hunt to Replace Its T-38 Talon Jets\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After sixty years, NASA has opened market research to replace its iconic T-38 Talon astronaut trainers and chase planes.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-01T08:50:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-04T06:43:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/nasa-northrop-t-38a-talon-langley.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"770\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joseph Duncan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joseph Duncan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joseph Duncan\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85\"},\"headline\":\"NASA Goes Shopping for a New Jet\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-01T08:50:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-04T06:43:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":806,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/nasa-northrop-t-38a-talon-langley.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Aviation World\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/\",\"name\":\"NASA Begins the Hunt to Replace Its T-38 Talon Jets\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/nasa-northrop-t-38a-talon-langley.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-01T08:50:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-04T06:43:32+00:00\",\"description\":\"After sixty years, NASA has opened market research to replace its iconic T-38 Talon astronaut trainers and chase planes.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/nasa-northrop-t-38a-talon-langley.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/nasa-northrop-t-38a-talon-langley.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":770,\"caption\":\"A NASA Northrop T-38A Talon\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"NASA Goes Shopping for a New Jet\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85\",\"name\":\"Joseph Duncan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Joseph Duncan\"},\"description\":\"Joseph Duncan covers breaking defence news \u2014 fast, sharp dispatches on the Pentagon, procurement and the world\u2019s air forces.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/author\\\/josephduncan\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"NASA Begins the Hunt to Replace Its T-38 Talon Jets","description":"After sixty years, NASA has opened market research to replace its iconic T-38 Talon astronaut trainers and chase planes.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"NASA Begins the Hunt to Replace Its T-38 Talon Jets","og_description":"After sixty years, NASA has opened market research to replace its iconic T-38 Talon astronaut trainers and chase planes.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/","og_site_name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-09-01T08:50:13+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-04T06:43:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":770,"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/nasa-northrop-t-38a-talon-langley.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Joseph Duncan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joseph Duncan","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/"},"author":{"name":"Joseph Duncan","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85"},"headline":"NASA Goes Shopping for a New Jet","datePublished":"2026-09-01T08:50:13+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-04T06:43:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/"},"wordCount":806,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/nasa-northrop-t-38a-talon-langley.jpg","articleSection":["Aviation World","News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/","name":"NASA Begins the Hunt to Replace Its T-38 Talon Jets","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/nasa-northrop-t-38a-talon-langley.jpg","datePublished":"2026-09-01T08:50:13+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-04T06:43:32+00:00","description":"After sixty years, NASA has opened market research to replace its iconic T-38 Talon astronaut trainers and chase planes.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/nasa-northrop-t-38a-talon-langley.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/nasa-northrop-t-38a-talon-langley.jpg","width":1280,"height":770,"caption":"A NASA Northrop T-38A Talon"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nasa-t-38-talon-replacement-search-2026\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"NASA Goes Shopping for a New Jet"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","description":"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85","name":"Joseph Duncan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Joseph Duncan"},"description":"Joseph Duncan covers breaking defence news \u2014 fast, sharp dispatches on the Pentagon, procurement and the world\u2019s air forces.","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/author\/josephduncan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18844840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18844840"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18844840\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19998457,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18844840\/revisions\/19998457"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18844388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18844840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18844840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18844840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}