The Air Force's Advanced Development Objectives Have The Same Shape As The Development Of The U-2 and SR-71

The real date for this ADO must have been circa 1945. 

November 1960

The Air Force established Advanced Development Objective (ADO)120, superseding GOR 81 and GOR 172. The ADO stated that the objective was:

“A To develop a manned nuclear powered test aircraft with essentially unlimited endurance independent of in-flight refueling which will have the potential of adding a new dimension to the spectrum of manned flight. Due to the present state-of-the-art, the initial system will be limited to subsonic performance, however, the ultimate attainment of supersonic speeds on nuclear heat only is an objective of the program. The aircraft will be used to explore the feasibility and suitability of nuclear power for manned aircraft by studying (a) the performance and handling characteristics of nuclear aircraft, (b) the problems of carrying personnel and equipment for long flight durations, and (c) the problems of operations and maintenance.“B- To provide a manned nuclear powered aircraft which can be used to investigate the operational problems and the applications of manned nuclear powered aircraft to various military missions.”