Chinese Weather Balloons, and Should You Worry About Them?

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If the photos that are on the net are real (Vegas odds) they put a lot of solar panels on that thing. The Ham guys had a small payload and small solar panels. Here's a link to the QRP Labs website (source of the WSPR kits) where they list all of the balloons that circumnavigated the earth (one guy's balloon went around 8 times). There used to be a special tracking site set up but, as I said before, I haven't kept up with it.
 
I think the Chinese are interested to trace our public reactions.

I find it amazing how many people have professed to be first experts in viral epidemiology, then experts in Europe-Russian relations, before pivoting to demonstrate their bona fides in secure document control, and now apparently having co-majored in balloon engineering and Chinese military strategy.
 
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JLP1 said:
During WW2 the Japanese had a balloon bomb project call Fu-Go. They launched little over 9000 of these balloons into the jet stream that crosses the Pacific for more that 6000 miles. Of the 9000 something like 300 made to the United States and Canada. They came across the Pacific and entered our air space over Washington state and Oregon. They continued across the country and at least 2 of them made it all the way to Mich. One landed in Oregon and was discovered by a family it went off and killed 6 members of the family. They were the only ones killed by the balloons and the only civilians killed in the continental United States during WW2 by Japan. The government kept it secret for fears that it would cause panic in the US. The project was suppose to start forest fires and destroy infrastructure but it was more about creating fear than anything else. Those balloons took the same paths as the current one today a lot of the them crossing the same areas as the one today. The only difference is today this balloon is crossing over land where more than 2/3's of our land based minuteman III's are located. From the looks of the array attached to this one it's eavesdropping on line of sight, microwave, cell, and other forms of communication that is normally not carried on satcoms. Once a balloon is captured in the jet steam it's not coming down unless it told to come down or it forced to come down. The military might want to be looking off the east coat of the US/Canada coast for any type of strange shipping that might be waiting out there to capture this thing when it crosses the coast headed out to sea.

Right now there are two things happening, (1) There is a group of analyst sitting in a room somewhere over in China watching every move we make writing reports and looking at data on how we handle this. Remember they don't plan 2 weeks down the road like we do they plan years into the future.

(2) Often the simplest things work the best while we are watching the world wide scope with all kinds of high tech they are sneaking in right on top of us with a balloon.

My 2 cents anyway
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Slight correction... The victims of the balloon bomb that exploded in 1945 were members of a church group... The pastor's wife, and the 5 children that were with them killed.
 
jderimig said:
Lots of questions. The main one is why the US did not splash the Red Zeppelin when in crossed into US airspace in Alaska?
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They might be hesitant to drop it if they aren't certain what might be un the payload. Something that big could easily be carrying a number of unpleasant things. Seems like something that big that can fly over a huge swath of the US would be ideal for dispersing some kind of biological agent.
 
Steve Shannon said:
Yes.
It has been a death by a billion commentaries, not just CNN, not just Fox, but all the others, and then social media, but our desire to hear what we think from commentators hired for their looks hasn’t helped.
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My impression, tho I don't watch a lot, is that it's really the 24 hour talk cycle. Actual news reporting is a small fraction of the day (btw, whether CNN or Fox, the actual news is "just the facts", pretty much). Most of the day is just talking about news.
 
Marc_G said:
I think the Chinese are interested to trace our public reactions.

I find it amazing how many people have professed to be first experts in viral epidemiology, then experts in Europe-Russian relations, before pivoting to demonstrate their bona fides in secure document control, and now apparently having co-majored in balloon engineering and Chinese military strategy.
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That should tell you a little bit about everybody... There is always truth...and opinion. Lots of people confuse those two things. Even the ones who wonder in the amazement.
 
Peartree said:
They might be hesitant to drop it if they aren't certain what might be un the payload. Something that big could easily be carrying a number of unpleasant things. Seems like something that big that can fly over a huge swath of the US would be ideal for dispersing some kind of biological agent.
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I don't buy that.
1. If we don't know what is in the payload then why have an intelligence service?
2. If its carrying nasty stuff then its better to let it drift over populated US mainland?
3. Flying dangerous stuff over the US mainland is an act of war. Even hardline Chicoms wouldn't do that.
4. I am sure Pentagon backchannels talked to the Chinese well before it reached Alaska and China told them exactly what the payload was. General Milley is BF's with the Chicon military.
 
My prediction. Once clearing the east cost it will have some kind of issue (we'll put a hole in it, in a non conspiculous way.) It will descend into ocean in US or Canadian waters, and get snatched up by military.

Then we won't hear any more about it, till it's ceremoniously given back. ( After military have "reviewed" it.)
 
what does a black image mean to an aircraft on ads-b exchange ? The only time I have ever seen it was the aircraft
was on the ground. Reason I am asking there is a Mooney M-20 call sign N5808X in the eastern part of NC . It is now just east of
Tarboro NC It does not give the planes altitude. It came from Pottstown Heritage field in PA

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a7796e
 
From the newspaper today, two salient facts:

NORAD was tracking the balloon at least two days before it was noticed by the general public

The Chinese have sent several balloons over the US in the last few years, going back at least to the last presidential administration. This was an “oh, another balloon” moment at NORAD, not a massive surprise.
 
I wouldn't exactly call what a newspaper said "facts" This thing is easily seen by the public and the DOD did not announce it until public outcry asking what is it, demanded them to. I saw it this morning and it is a large object and is easily seen. No others have been reported by the public in the past years.. There is no way an object like this has flown over the US in the past with no detection by the public.
 
bobby_hamill said:
what does a black image mean to an aircraft on ads-b exchange ? The only time I have ever seen it was the aircraft
was on the ground. Reason I am asking there is a Mooney M-20 call sign N5808X in the eastern part of NC . It is now just east of
Tarboro NC It does not give the planes altitude. It came from Pottstown Heritage field in PA

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a7796e
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Your correct, its in ground mode. You toggle it from ground to flight mode. In ground mode it will still transmit flight data, but in a low power mode. It"s designed to reduce radio clutter on the ground at airports.
 
It was in ground mode while flying ?
I could see the icon moving from VA/NC border to Tarboro NC
It is south of Orangeburg Sc and still in ground mode
 

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