Another "Harmless" Balloon Over The US Headed East

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dennishoddy

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Quick Math:

The balloon was reported as being about 50 feet tall. Plug in some conservative numbers, lets say the ball of helium inside was just 40 feet in diameter. That's 33,510 cubic feet of helium, weighing about 335 pounds.

The weight of the air displaced is about 2,500 pounds. Buoyancy comes close to 2200 pounds. That leaves a lot of room for payload and balloon envelope.

I seriously doubt that 2 foot square box was empty. I'm sure it had to have a significant load. There is no telling what is inside of it.

Woody
Oh, we know what's in it, but they are trying to bullshat the public once again.
 

OK Corgi Rancher

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……, or perhaps, sick to our stomachs watching our country’s leadership kowtow to hostile foreign powers?

No way, man. That can't possibly be it. It's because we're all insecure.

And I thought people in Oklahoma said "ya'll"...not "you all".
 

Poke78

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Today’s article in the NY Post:

https://nypost.com/2024/02/24/us-ne...-hobbyist-balloon-left-us-airspace-overnight/

“The mysterious high-altitude balloon spotted soaring the Western US Friday was simply a hobbyist device and has already left American airspace, according to a report.”

Poke78 comment: translation of “hobbyist device” is that it was probably launched as an amateur radio experiment with the small payload box carrying a transmitter that reports position, altitude, atmospheric data, and an FCC amateur radio call sign. It connects to earth-based stations using a protocol called Automatic Packet Reporting System and is tracked from the reports via the Internet. These experiments have been conducted for many years, often as a learning exercise for students to get them excited about science & technology.
 

John6185

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Whether it was a hobbyist balloon, spy balloon or origin unknown, it should be taken out. We have extremely poor leadership in both parties and even worse in the White House. Never have we seen such ineffectual management of our national security and expenditures. It is all deliberate and so obvious that we can see a daily demise of this nation and no politician or ex-politician is going to be brought on the carpet for their failures or conduct.
 

ConstitutionCowboy

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Prob nothing due to being well dispersed. I assume you are talking about from the same type of balloon which was like at 40000 feet.
...Or one could drop it from 40,000 feet with a small drogue chute and have it air-burst about 100 feet or so in the air, up wind of the target city or military base, etc.

Wouldn't launching something like that balloon from US soil require some sort of permit from the FAA? There is more to this balloon story than this lame attempt to dismiss it as something benign. Oh, and where does a person go to buy a 50 foot tall hobbyist balloon? Amazon doesn't even carry them bigger than 28' in diameter as far as I have been able to find.

Oh, I know. "Aerial Spy Balloons Я Us".

Woody
 

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