Now I just have to pose a question......which need not be answered if One does not want the NSA, FBI, CIA, and IRS digging into your underwear.....but just what does the B-57 platform do that a modified Drone can not? If they can loiter a drone above the Battlefield for pushing 24 hours at a time....then it would follow it would be far cheaper, more effective, and not risk a two man crew to accomplish the mission.
The discuss a Camera Pod....but discuss Comm Node....which suggests there is some looking and talking going on....along with some photography and SigInt work too.
I have always felt one needs to consider known capabilities then figure out what niche isn't being covered.
I saw that first hand in Somalia when a very odd looking airplane got rolled out of a hangar by some folks who were not there. That added to the P-3, AC-130, and other assets that were there every night.
Official comments reported that particular kind of Airplane had gone out of service very shortly after Vietnam folded but what a surprise to discover it had not.
So....just what is NASA up to in Kandahar these days?