No-tech can also do that. Jackie Chan has demonstrated this many times. :grin: — Alkis Piskas

:lol:

It's hard to tell exactly what that [payload] means, but they made it sound ominous to say the least. — Tzeentch

The payload was a dead alien travelling with the balloon.
(Fans of "Area 55" are certain about this.)
:grin:

If China has the means to carry out its reconnaissance in a legal manner in space, why would it invade U.S. air space? — Tzeentch

Good question.

I also have a question: "Why almost all known conspiracy theories involve the US?"

They're just out looking for balloons, it's trendy at the moment. :)

US intercepts Russian bombers off Alaska for 2 straight days
^{— Luis Martinez, Mark Osborne · ABC News · Feb 16, 2023}
Russian warplanes fly near Alaskan airspace second time in two days
^{— Ellen Mitchell · The Hill · Feb 16, 2023}

This Russian activity near the North American ADIZ [Air Defense Identification Zone] occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat, nor is the activity seen as provocative. — NORAD

I also have a question: "Why almost all known conspiracy theories involve the US?" — Alkis Piskas

Because we're the tallest hog in the trough.

The payload was a dead alien travelling with the balloon. — Alkis Piskas

I also have questions: How would we know whether an alien was dead or alive? Why would a allegedly dead alien be traveling with the balloon? How was the alien getting around before it allegedly died? What happened to the allegedly dead alien's flat round space ship?

Because we're the tallest hog in the trough. — BC

I don't think you're supposed to get in the trough. You just eat out of it.

Ask @Shawn. Hmm, he hasn't been active for 6 days. Hope you are OK, Shawn!

Have people mistaken this for the Lounge or something?

Keep things on topic please.

The dialog that follows is fictitious. Any reference to real persons or aliens, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

How would we know whether an alien was dead or alive? — BC

According to my report, we can't. We only found it dead.
But we don't and won't know what the report by the US government is.

Why would a allegedly dead alien be traveling with the balloon? — BC

Again, as I said, we only found it dead. We don't know if it was dead or alive before we shot the balloon down. But most most probably we killied it. (Ask the US government for more details. They must have found the time of death based on body temperature and stiffness. If of course, these apply to the alien's body.)

How was the alien getting around before it allegedly died? — BC

We will never know. (If the aloen is already dead, even the US government couldt know. Otherwise, they can always find out about this by interrogating the alien. If it is willing to speak, of course. It also depends how much can the alien can withstand tortures.)

What happened to the allegedly dead alien's flat round space ship? — BC

Tech changes!


... To be continued (maybe)

Amateur balloonist group from Illinois says small balloon last reported over Alaska ‘missing in action’

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/16/politics/illinois-balloon-group-alaska-missing

Who knew there were ‘amateur balloonist groups’?

Who knew there were ‘amateur balloonist groups’? — Wayfarer

No body knew that. What you call 'amateur balloon groups' are insidious front groups for aliens without flying saucers (awfs). Commercial airline travel became so unpleasant that aliens resorted to balloons--and now that option is gone, thanks to the corrosive Chinese.

Tesla self-driving-car owners beware: your vehicle software is vulnerable to undetectable alien overrides and Teslas are nicer than unheated balloons.

:lol:

Tom Medlin, the owner of the Tennessee-based Amateur Radio Roundtable podcast and a balloon hobbyist himself, said he’s been in contact with an Illinois club that believes the object shot down over the Yukon was one of their balloons. No one from the club responded to messages left Friday, but Medlin said the club was tracking the balloon and it disappeared over the Yukon on the same day the unidentified object was shot down.

The clubs launch what are known as pico balloons, small mylar balloons equipped with trackers that can measure weather, temperature, humidity, or wind currents.

The incidents have left balloonists scrambling to defend their hobby. They insist their balloons fly too high and are too small to pose a threat to aircraft and that government officials are overreacting.

“The spy balloon had to be shot down,” Medlin said. “That’s a national security threat, for sure. Then what happened is, I think, the government got a little anxious. Maybe the word is trigger-happy. I don’t know. When they shot them down, they didn’t know what they were. That’s a little concerning.” — US used expensive missiles to take down what were likely $12 hobbyists’ balloons

If America has one universal defining trait, it's 'trigger-happy'.

@Tzeentch, seems like such balloons do violate airspace regulations/laws.
At least some of them are Chinese according to Chinese authorities themselves.
Maybe they just went "Hey let's try this, see how it goes"?
In the scheme of things such balloons are fairly cheap, yet might spot something of interest.
Barring large incidents, what is there to lose?




Extraterrestrials Admit Responsibility for Unidentified Objects but Claim They Were Only Monitoring Weather
^{— Andy Borowitz · The New Yorker · Feb 13, 2023}

:D

It might be a little more complicated.

The Chinese refer to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, aka the Chicago Convention.

I haven't taken the time to read through it all, but it does seem that civil aviation enjoys a great deal of protection under the convention, and the US is a signatory to it.

Shooting down civilian craft without any type of warning seems questionable.

What about drones?
Some legislation has been put in place, though I don't recall the exact details here (I've had a small drone with camera from before they started getting legal attention).
For example, you're not allowed to head out to the airport and start flying your drone around. :)
I imagine balloons have been subject to legislation longer.

No need to go all zealous. :)

"Scientists want you to know that most balloons come in peace. They're used for experiments to look at everything from cosmic rays to the ozone layer."

Researchers watch and worry as balloons are blasted from the sky
^{— Geoff Brumfiel · NPR · Feb 21, 2023}

balloon researchers are careful to follow airspace and other government regulations, our research balloons carry no surveillance capability, and safety is always a primary concern — Joan Alexander

This other side of the story, the useful, practical ballooning that helps students, helps technology and our better understanding of the Universe, really needs to get out there — Gregory Guzik

The spying/security aspect isn't going away, though.

:D

Chinese spy balloon used US internet provider to communicate its location
^{— Katie Bo Lillis · CNN · Dec 29, 2023}