This super high tech balloon thing flew from Pittsburgh to Hagerstown, MD then down the I-81 corridor, exiting at Roanoke, passing Greensboro, flying between Raleigh and Fayetteville (big vaccine and cancer treatment testing in Raleigh/Durham at Duke University Hospital), and now appears headed to Newport News, very slowly and at 50,000-60,000 feet. (Isn't stealing of vaccine info one of the reasons cited by Pompeo for booting the Chinese embassy in Houston out of the country? And what were they frantically burning at the embassy in open bonfires anyway?)
The "balloon" is owned by Loon.com, which is owned by Alphabet (Google). That's a shady connection.
According to https://www.canso.org/airspace-q4-2018-sailing-winds-60000-feet the balloon is navigable, which explains its following the interstate perfectly. Who needs navigational equipment? Just follow auto GPS.
According to Loon itself, these balloons communicate with satellites (enemy satellites?) in order to provide a completely separate telecommunication (undetectable by NSA/ military intel?) system for use after natural disasters. How humanitarian of them to develop all this hi tech stuff just to help mankind! (tongue firmly in cheek)
And since these balloons-in-touch-with-satellites are much closer to the ground than satellites, think of the cool spy photos of US military installations that could stealthily be taken.
Oh, come on, it's just a weather balloon, you say.
Hardly.
It shows up on flight aware.com or better yet ADS-B Exchange's tracking map. It's a navigable device.
satisfyinghump ago
If this were a game, I'd ask, "how difficult is it to source the parts and helium to make a balloon seaker killer - balloon? A balloon that either crashes into its target or has some laser or weapon system which can be used to bring the balloon down? Bonus points to hijack the balloon and either let it stay in play but eavesdrop on what it's seeing and communicating or take it's storage drive and drop it with a parachute and tracking beacon where you can retrieve it?"
If someone made a video game like that, I'm sure people would play!
blumen4alles ago
Very interesting designation, ends in 27.
ibepokey ago
7/14 and 7/15 show it landing, then taking off from sea, respectively. quite a wide coverage from then to now too.
ibepokey ago
weird, i've looked at adsbexchange many times before, and i've never seen balloons, much less MANY balloons over the USA
CluelessInTheDark ago
Same here. That's why I've kept watching it.
RURAL-TROOPER ago
These are the "satellites". Space is fake and gay.