Chinese reconnaissance balloon spotted over the United States

[mmckenna]

Anybody think the balloon is carrying the latest iteration of COVID to disperse?

No, it's much easier to have US consumers pay Amazon to have things shipped to their front door directly from China.

I wonder how many of the people that have their undies in the bunch over this are using Chinese electronics, CCR's, or typing out their messages on computers with Chinese made processors sending through a Chinese made WiFi/Router?

 

[dave3825]

The senior defense official said the U.S. did get fighter jets, including F-22s, ready to shoot down the balloon if ordered to by the White House. The Pentagon ultimately recommended against it, noting that even as the balloon was over a sparsely populated area of Montana, its size would create a debris field large enough that it could have put people at risk.

It was not clear what the military was doing to prevent it from collecting sensitive information or what will happen with the balloon if it isn’t shot down.

You can refuel planes at high altitudes but you can't snag a slow moving balloon and bring it down. The US should get it and open it up and analyze it.

The defense official said what concerned them about this launch was the altitude the balloon was flying at and the length of time it lingered over a location, without providing specifics.

That is a real intelligent statement.

 

[mwjones]

You can refuel planes at high altitudes but you can't snag a slow moving balloon and bring it down. The US should get it and open it up and analyze it.

If this balloon is indeed at 90,000 feet, that's above the flight ceilings of even the U-2 spy plane (70,000 feet per "official" statements), so the challenge lies in getting it to a lower altitude where we could snag it. The SR-71 holds the record cruising altitude for an aircraft at 85,000 feet, but alas they aren't flying any more, and of course rocket powered craft can go higher.

In-flight refueling takes place at 35,000 feet or below. Commercial aircraft cruise between 35,000 and 40,000 feet, which the Concorde holds the record for highest cruising commercial aircraft at 60,000 feet.

Right now, only a rocket or missile deflating the balloon is the viable option, which would not bode well for bringing down the payload intact, which is why the concern for collateral damage on the ground is much higher.

 

[prcguy]

A few bullet holes in the balloon should bring it down slowly. At least at first.

If this balloon is indeed at 90,000 feet, that's above the flight ceilings of even the U-2 spy plane (70,000 feet per "official" statements), so the challenge lies in getting it to a lower altitude where we could snag it. The SR-71 holds the record cruising altitude for an aircraft at 85,000 feet, but alas they aren't flying any more, and of course rocket powered craft can go higher.

In-flight refueling takes place at 35,000 feet or below. Commercial aircraft cruise between 35,000 and 40,000 feet, which the Concorde holds the record for highest cruising commercial aircraft at 60,000 feet.

Right now, only a rocket or missile deflating the balloon is the viable option, which would not bode well for bringing down the payload intact, which is why the concern for collateral damage on the ground is much higher.

 

[MUTNAV]

A few bullet holes in the balloon should bring it down slowly. At least at first.

Shoot, as hams we have a 1,500 watt power limit at frequencies above 300 Ghz, wouldn't a CO2 laser be above that frequency, not that I could make something this powerful ? I'm just saying Balloon Scatter would be a real mode, like using aircraft for scattering.

Yes, I know the first artificial satellite that could be used as a repeater was an aluminized orbiting balloon (Echo).


Just seems like an opportunity for a rare QSO.

Thanks
Joel

 

[mwjones]

A few bullet holes in the balloon should bring it down slowly. At least at first.

Right after I clicked "post" on my previous message, there was an update story that came across the Twitter-wire, that says the balloon is currently about 60,000 feet. Even still most combat aircraft have a service ceiling of 50,000 feet, but the new F-22 can get to 65,000 feet, and is equipped with a 20mm Gatling gun, so making the balloon Swiss-cheese becomes a distinct possibility.

One also has to be concerned that if the balloon is brought down intact, it might be equipped with a nefarious payload that might do more damage than allowing it to disintegrate.

 

[GlobalNorth]

The external ballistics of a 20x102mm round over a 5.68 mile distance [assuming a F22 at 60k and the target at 90k] just won't work. The M61A2 targeting radar can't compute the elevation and lead for such a distance and the 20mm projectile isn't likely to have much, if any effective kinetic energy, even in the rarified atmosphere. It would take nearly 30 seconds from the time of firing to hit the target due to the projectile velocity, factored for decreasing velocity/given range.

A SM-3 missile with a small fragmenting explosive warhead targeting the balloon envelope would be more effective.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Where is the link to track this thing? You telling me none of the aircraft tracking experts here has posted a link?

 

[riverradio68]

Completely amazing. No plan to kill it! Might as well escort the thing around the country - Since 2021 I swear the world has become like the last Planet of the apes movie, unbelievable!

 

[citylink_uk]

Where is the link to track this thing? You telling me none of the aircraft tracking experts here has posted a link?

I have a hunch that it might not be equipped with ADSB.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I dunno, but in the last few months there were quite some farms & substations going up in flames...

Officials estimate 100,000 chickens died in fire at New England farm

It's one of several such fires that have killed millions of chickens around the country over the past decade.

www.wcvb.com

Google Search

I mean if it walks like a duck, quaks like a duck, looks like a duck, sounds like a duck...

What the duck could it be?

Sounds like a hybrid duck to me, doing some SAMBA!

Ugly Duckling - A Little Samba

And yeah, here is a special song that JUST came to my mind...man, I don't know why...
Beastie Boys - SABOTAGE

No kind of encryption is going to save you from sabotage...'cos the CALL is coming from the inside.

Them both some funny ****! Liked the MX300's!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Yeppers, I'm with you and Lauri, somebody might even end up with a ride to the train station.

An interesting note, last night before I went to bed I did notice that there was an E3 orbiting near Oklahoma city. I would assume that's where the balloon was.

I was just gonna say that! Funny, no trains around these parts!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

If this balloon is indeed at 90,000 feet, that's above the flight ceilings of even the U-2 spy plane (70,000 feet per "official" statements), so the challenge lies in getting it to a lower altitude where we could snag it. The SR-71 holds the record cruising altitude for an aircraft at 85,000 feet, but alas they aren't flying any more, and of course rocket powered craft can go higher.

In-flight refueling takes place at 35,000 feet or below. Commercial aircraft cruise between 35,000 and 40,000 feet, which the Concorde holds the record for highest cruising commercial aircraft at 60,000 feet.

Right now, only a rocket or missile deflating the balloon is the viable option, which would not bode well for bringing down the payload intact, which is why the concern for collateral damage on the ground is much higher.

A laser could do the deed. I am sure there is a mobile one in DARPA that could be employed to carve out a small hole the balloon envelope.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

A "laser beam" is required;

Advanced Tactical Laser - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Boeing YAL-1 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[vagrant]

We can do it! Pew! Pew!

 

[w2xq]

The 4p ET TV news has a map showing it over western Missouri. To me the path appears to follow more-or-less along the jetstream.

 

[trentbob]

I was just gonna say that! Funny, no trains around these parts!

Yep, no lawman, no court, no jury of your peers.. just deep ravines.

Yeah I think they're going to bring it down slowly somehow and just scoop it up and bring it down intact.

 

[RichardKramer]

Yep, no lawman, no court, no jury of your peers.. just deep ravines.

Yeah I think they're going to bring it down slowly somehow and just scoop it up and bring it down intact.

Whatever our top brass decide to do with it, we'll never hear the truth of what it consisted of.

 

[trentbob]

Whatever our top brass decide to do with it, we'll never hear the truth of what it consisted of.

All the press releases and announcements by the mainstream media are pretty much misinformation, by design.

They just print whatever press releases there are.

I think top level communications between China and the United States are sorting it out, that accounts for the Secretary of State canceling his trip to China this weekend, which is directly related to.. oh well you know. Why do you think this happened now?

I learned to play Chess at a very young age and was a fierce competitor in my teens. Most children in Russia and China are avid chess players. It's like baseball.

 

[scanfreqer]

Sorry to say but they should have shot it down in Canada, or when it hit the States. If it was out of control from the Chinese, you think they would have notified???