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Original poster

To be concerned about the balloon discovered hovering over Montana

262 replies

MeetPi · 03/02/2023 05:57

The balloon is said to be a Chinese spy balloon up to three football fields long. In the last few minutes, another balloon has possibly been spotted over Canada - where the first balloon apparently came through to the US.

Purportedly President Biden wanted to shoot the balloon down, but the Pentagon convinced him otherwise, as this could prove a risk to people on the ground.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/02/pentagon-chinese-spy-balloon

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Catspyjamas17 · 04/02/2023 16:26

A spy balloon sounds likee something out of Despicable Me, or Austin Powers.

PUGMEISTER21 · 04/02/2023 17:36

It's not the size of three football pitches it's 120ft, three buses.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 04/02/2023 18:04

@Oakbeam
'I looked into and they are really difficult to shoot down because anything that fire at them goes right through without exploding'

But surely once it has been punctured it would 'raspberry' across the sky in a hectic, unpredictable path, getting smaller until such time it falls to earth, perhaps somewhere in the Artic, where it will just lie like a massive discarded condom?

Oakbeam · 04/02/2023 18:38

But surely once it has been punctured it would 'raspberry' across the sky

If only! It would certainly make my day. 😁

cakeorwine · 04/02/2023 18:41

Catinabeanbag · 04/02/2023 16:22

I don't see what a 'spy balloon' could see that can't be seen from satellite, to be honest. Every country spies on everyone else anyway. I know Montana has some air force bases which house nuclear weapons,but you can have a good nosey at those on google earth. I'd wager that's not top-notch technology and what what governments can see / already know is far more sophisticated than that.

At what height would it become 'fair game'?

Satellites spy all the time. At some point, countries have to say that the vertical height above a country is not theirs.

Oakbeam · 04/02/2023 18:49

At what height would it become 'fair game'?

The Russians shot down an American spy plane at reputedly 80,000 feet, so at least that.

greenspaces4peace · 04/02/2023 18:50

second balloon now spotted over south america :)
i would guess there are more than two.

DogInATent · 04/02/2023 19:06

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 04/02/2023 18:04

@Oakbeam
'I looked into and they are really difficult to shoot down because anything that fire at them goes right through without exploding'

But surely once it has been punctured it would 'raspberry' across the sky in a hectic, unpredictable path, getting smaller until such time it falls to earth, perhaps somewhere in the Artic, where it will just lie like a massive discarded condom?

It's not a pressurised balloon like an inflated condom. It won't 'raspberry' across the sky. The difference in pressure between inside the balloon and outside the balloon is very, very small.

Oakbeam · 04/02/2023 19:07

It's not a pressurised balloon like an inflated condom

I think cakeorwine’s post was tongue in cheek!

notimagain · 04/02/2023 19:12

According to some MSM reports the FAA have just issued a ground stop (halt on departures/arrivals) for some airports in the Carolinas and also closed some airspace offshore.

Something up? Or coming down….?

DogInATent · 04/02/2023 19:17

notimagain · 04/02/2023 19:12

According to some MSM reports the FAA have just issued a ground stop (halt on departures/arrivals) for some airports in the Carolinas and also closed some airspace offshore.

Something up? Or coming down….?

More likely the case that it's movements can't be predicted, and it's not obeying air traffic rules.

notimagain · 04/02/2023 19:19

DogInATent · 04/02/2023 19:17

More likely the case that it's movements can't be predicted, and it's not obeying air traffic rules.

Show quote history

Quite possibly, meanwhile..from a few hours ago..

twitter.com/YCSO_SC/status/1621903240219475969?cxt=HHwWgoCy1euZlIItAAAA

MissConductUS · 04/02/2023 19:41

NPR is confirming the FAA ground stop and the balloon's position over the Carolinas.

Regarding the Twitter post by the York County Sherriff, I'm sure he posted that because there have already been small arms fire aimed at it.

Igotjelly · 04/02/2023 19:52

And it’s down, breaking news

notimagain · 04/02/2023 19:53

CNN and other sources now saying it’s been brought down (if true wonder if that was done as soon as it coasted out but before it left US Sovereign airspace)

MissConductUS · 04/02/2023 20:20

notimagain · 04/02/2023 19:53

CNN and other sources now saying it’s been brought down (if true wonder if that was done as soon as it coasted out but before it left US Sovereign airspace)

Probably as soon as it was feet wet.

notimagain · 04/02/2023 20:34

That would make sense, both in terms of reducing the chance of damage on the ground and also in terms of the legal side of airspace “ownership”.

MissConductUS · 04/02/2023 20:38

It would also make it easier to retrieve the wreckage for examination of the payload.

I hope they make the results public.

NoLongerYoung · 04/02/2023 20:40

How did they know it was Chinese before China admitted it?

Pupinski · 04/02/2023 20:44

Switchwitch · 03/02/2023 06:01

I'm amazed they can have a balloon that tracks people and spies on nuclear sites but my Amazon Alexa tries to play me house music rather than time my pasta on the hob.

😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

Shauny098 · 04/02/2023 21:05

MeetPi · 03/02/2023 05:57

The balloon is said to be a Chinese spy balloon up to three football fields long. In the last few minutes, another balloon has possibly been spotted over Canada - where the first balloon apparently came through to the US.

Purportedly President Biden wanted to shoot the balloon down, but the Pentagon convinced him otherwise, as this could prove a risk to people on the ground.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/02/pentagon-chinese-spy-balloon

I say this with love….

STOP WATCHING THE NEWS!!!!!!

milkyaqua · 04/02/2023 21:39

GasPanic · 04/02/2023 13:16

The idea that they don't want to shoot it down because it may have come down over the highly populated areas of Montana and Alaska is clearly nonsense to me.

Either they a) can't shoot it down or b) want it intact.

I read a report saying it was observed at 60,000ft. If that's the case then I reckon they could shoot it down and probably up to about 80,000ft. Above 100,000ft I reckon they would have issues.

Well, it has been shot down now, they say, but over the Atlantic. The balloon is estimated to be the size of three US school buses, but its ban of sensors estimated to be the size of two US school buses, which would not land softly on anyone or anything. Hard to control where a balloon and its hardware land, when shooting it down from high altitude.

The US military opted not to shoot down the balloon because of the safety risks to people on the ground given the size of the payload and potential for debris, officials said.

milkyaqua · 04/02/2023 21:40

*bank of sensors

AdventFridgeOfShame · 04/02/2023 21:44

Shauny098 · 04/02/2023 21:05

I say this with love….

STOP WATCHING THE NEWS!!!!!!

Show quote history

I say this with love...

ignorance is not bliss

Watch the news, watch the Indian news, watch some African news, watch some East Asian news, watch the news, all of it. Inform your self, smelling salts are not essential.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 04/02/2023 22:06

@DogInATent
'It's not a pressurised balloon like an inflated condom. It won't 'raspberry' across the sky. The difference in pressure between inside the balloon and outside the balloon is very, very small.'

That's good to know, so it must be one of those new-fangled 'lighter-than-air' machines that we keep reading about in the newspaper. At least when they leak the helium, being so light, it leaves the earth's gravitational field so that we won't all start sounding like Mickey Mouse when we talk. 🐭 Phew.

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