One of the cable TV channels briefly flashed a very high res photo showing in clear view some details of the payload. Did anyone else see it and where can we see it again?
It would be nice to recover the helium and the payload.
It looks large enough to have a manned pod.
Maybe some thrusters.
What needed all the electricity of those solar arrays, and how big were the batteries?
Big science project, or spy project?
Chinese Lunar New Year celebration—it looks like a big ole moon.
Put a couple of holes in it to bring it down slowly? Them Carolina boys will hit it.
Why can’t you guys just shoot it down if it’s breaking international law like is being claimed? or even intercept it, drag it down and and prove it is a surveillance balloon - instead of that just blurred photo’s and guessing/accusations. So weird. I’d geniunely like to know out of interest. We can land probes on Mars, but we can’t pop a balloon? (mankind I mean, not specifically the USA before anyone gets offended)
After reading up on it apparently it’s because of the damage it may cause, which obviously makes sense. Once it’s over the sea I suppose it’s possible though.
It was over Montana for quite a while. Lots of empty space there. It is hard to believe they couldn’t have been able to bring it down where it would not have done any damage to anyone or thing.
Somehow I think we are not getting the whole story.
It looks like a proper weather balloon the solar panels are there to charge the battery so it can collect and send data. China already has spy satellites good enough to do what the balloon would (collecting data) be doing so its pointless for that reason.
It could be dangerous to shoot down and also expensive, kind of silly to send a jet up and shoot it down if you know its a weather balloon. Launch a missile for a balloon and imagine if it missed? On the other hand if it was to fall from the sky its also dangerous, could land on some one and if it leaked and fell it could start a fire.
Fox News reported on Friday, February 3rd, that the Pentagon recommended to the President not to force it down because whatever it's carrying has a mass the size of 2 semi trucks, not including its solar arrays. And since there's apparently no way to completely control its decent from its 60k' altitude, or to accurately determine where it would eventually fall to earth, it's advised not to do so due to potential risk to the public.
Now whether thats 100% true, or its a convenient excuse for the President to use in order to avoid an increase in tension between the USA and China will have to remain a topic of political debate, which of course is strictly forbidden here! And rightfully so.
It’s up there at the bottom edge of “space” where no planes can fly.
If people start shooting down space objects, then where does that end?
Space exploration, whether low-earth orbit or intergalactic planetary, is a tough enough environment already without the need for fighting over “turf”.
I just heard from several sources that they shot it down… Something I agree with. I want to know what the payload really is.
IF they will actually tell us.
Eisenhower was even pleased that the USSR, not the U.S., would be the first to test the waters of the still-uncertain legal status of orbital satellite overflights.
To set a precedent for “freedom of space” before the launch of America’s secret WS-117L spy satellites,
the U.S. had launched Project Vanguard as its own “civilian” satellite entry for the International Geophysical Year.
If one thinks a Chinese “weather balloon” drifted aimlessly over the Pacific and hovered over a U.S. military/nuclear installation by mistake, well, you’re really gullible.
Also, Montana has a population density of SEVEN PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE….nobody’s getting hit.
