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The Chinese Spy Balloon

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I just watched a press conference,an Air Force General was the spokesman. He stated that the ballon is maneuverable. He also stated this is not the first time for an event like this. When questioned about when it happened before his answer was that info is classified? Why are they telling us this time? Stinks worse then 3 day old fish market. Jeff
Because this time civilians saw and they couldn't control the story.
 
Meterologists at Accuweather explain the path of a balloon at ~60,000 feet in the current conditions are exactly what it is following. They say that if the balloon had been at 82,000 feet it would have followed a completely different (and predictable) path towards the southwest. Moral of the story: The only way the balloon can alter its wind-borne path is to radically change altitude. My hunch is it has extremely limited ability to do that rapidly, if at all. Note that there have been no such "changes of direction" as the balloon follows the winds aloft at its altitude:

1675484923528.png

Path of a balloon at 82,000 feet:
1675484825211.png
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DAily Mail is reporting that it is shot down
Only one problem with that story, dated Friday (today): The balloon is nowhere near Billings now, it's already crossed Missouri into Kentucky. And, it's cloudy in Billings, so even if it was still there, no "witnesses" could see what it's doing. All some people reported was seeing "a jet go by ... and then an explosion in the sky" over Billings. Maybe there was a mid-air between two airplanes, but the balloon is now over a thousand miles away. Soon Billings will see the Virgin Mary appear as a cloud.
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Google has been using high altitude balloons for internet com since 2020(their balloons were designed to hover in place using changes in altitude/wind direction). It appears the Chinese military have used this tech and development of better wind/elevation algorithms to carry larger payloads/larger balloons. And steer using elevation changes to hover or change direction. If the Pentagon statements are correct and they have blocked balloon communications, the Chinese are no longer able to control the balloon.
 
Google has been using high altitude balloons for internet com since 2020(their balloons were designed to hover in place using changes in altitude/wind direction). It appears the Chinese military have used this tech and development of better wind/elevation algorithms to carry larger payloads/larger balloons. And steer using elevation changes to hover or change direction. If the Pentagon statements are correct and they have blocked balloon communications, the Chinese are no longer able to control the balloon.
That Google "Loon" balloon research project was shut down in January 2021. I used to spend considerable spare time tracking their balloons on PlaneFinder. They always flew in clear, calm summer and fall conditions, much of the time from N. Nevada at remote desert camps. They could never have achieved crude directional control using elevation changes in wintertime active weather patterns.

Here's a screen shot I grabbed in June 2016 showing the path of a Google "Loon" above I-80, SE of Winnemucca, NV:

1675493563352.png
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Just caught this in passing as I'm having my first cup of coffee this
morning.....Another balloon is being tracked over Latin America.
They could use it as a "Pinata"....

I would expect the balloon to be brought down as is it makes it's
way out over the Atlantic. You would think a full recovery and
inspection would be in order.....Navy probably has ships on station
waiting.
 
Well, everything. Unfortunately I mean it. There is not a single item or person in the Federal Government that I have any respect for at all.
Actually, they are all embarrassing in my opinion. They can neither think nor speak for starters.
As computer searches sometimes say "Narrow your search" for your question.
It's loaded up with beta-male attorneys.
 
If the Chicoms have a "fishing trawler" offshore whose to say they don't get to it first? They could bring it down when and where they want in international waters and if we interfered we would be in violation of law. Great propaganda story for them.
 
Likely is, and has transmitted the data it has gathered earlier on. I can see it being programmed to possibly self destruct before falling into our hands?
 
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