Sinister balloon lurking in the atmosphere

[Jamiednm]

No, it’s not another Bill Kenwright thread, but this - a Chinese spy balloon floating 60,000 feet above Montana after drifting in to the US in the last day or two:

Why would China use a spy balloon when it has satellites?

Experts say the use of the inflatable could be intended to send a message to Washington.

www.bbc.co.uk

Speculate away - a good conspiracy theory is a welcome distraction.

 

[mezzrow]

 

[Rita_Poon]

Won't shoot it down because they're concerned about falling debris.

Them, yes the US, that are responsible for more space junk than everyone else put together.

On a more serious note, it was balloon technology that lead to the only US mainland deaths of WWII. Bunch of kids found a balloon delivered bomb in a national park, I guess someone kicked it and that was all there was...

Anyway, how has a weather* balloon from China ended up going from Atlantic to Pacific coast and only getting noticed now?

 

[Rita_Poon]

 

[Jamiednm]

Won't shoot it down because they're concerned about falling debris.

Them, yes the US, that are responsible for more space junk than everyone else put together.

On a more serious note, it was balloon technology that lead to the only US mainland deaths of WWII. Bunch of kids found a balloon delivered bomb in a national park, I guess someone kicked it and that was all there was...

Anyway, how has a weather* balloon from China ended up going from Atlantic to Pacific coast and only getting noticed now?

Apparently it came in from the Pacific side of the US, Alaska first then in to Canada before entering the continental US, it hasn’t been anywhere near the Atlantic.

I’d imagine the US military will have been aware of, and tracking it for most of it journey and if they don’t think it’s worth shooting down, I suppose it just makes the Chinese look weak.

 

[TrailerTrash]

Someone tracked via wind patterns...

Odds are it's probably just a weather balloon. Using a balloon for spy shenanigans seems a bit daft, particularly with sat they have in orbit.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Apparently it came in from the Pacific side of the US, Alaska first then in to Canada before entering the continental US, it hasn’t been anywhere near the Atlantic.

I’d imagine the US military will have been aware of, and tracking it for most of it journey and if they don’t think it’s worth shooting down, I suppose it just makes the Chinese look weak.

Alaskan Canadian and then border airspace vigilance is under a bit of spotlight? news reported it currently moving right to left. Quite a lot of the public also having noticed it, and apparently balloons more difficult to track than planes and low orbit satellites or something...

 

[PhilM]

Won't shoot it down because they're concerned about falling debris.

Them, yes the US, that are responsible for more space junk than everyone else put together.

On a more serious note, it was balloon technology that lead to the only US mainland deaths of WWII. Bunch of kids found a balloon delivered bomb in a national park, I guess someone kicked it and that was all there was...

Anyway, how has a weather* balloon from China ended up going from Atlantic to Pacific coast and only getting noticed now?

This made me laugh from the US. Yes it's high up, and it'll drift, but they could easily shoot it down over vast open spaces that it's travelled.

They simply don't want to up the ante with China, and are probably quite confident that it hasn't obtained too much information compared to a satellite.

 

[Rita_Poon]

This made me laugh from the US. Yes it's high up, and it'll drift, but they could easily shoot it down over vast open spaces that it's travelled.

They simply don't want to up the ante with China, and are probably quite confident that it hasn't obtained too much information compared to a satellite.

It contains the Arteta money doesn't it?....

 

[MikeH72]

Just spotted it @tommye

 

[PhilM]

It contains the Arteta money doesn't it?....

The Gordon money, don't you mean?

 

[Jamiednm]

Someone tracked via wind patterns...

Odds are it's probably just a weather balloon. Using a balloon for spy shenanigans seems a bit daft, particularly with sat they have in orbit.

View attachment 203480

And it just happens to be loitering over one of just 3 nuclear missile silo fields in the entire US?

 

[Rita_Poon]

The Gordon money, don't you mean?

Still in escrow, and there's the returns policy of 28 days....

 

[PhilM]

 

[Rita_Poon]

Suppose when it comes down and has whatever surveillance on it it's a tough lie to defend for Beijing...