# The Pentagon is tracking a Chinese spy balloon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 3, 2023, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228 "2023-02-03T01:32:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![EastUmpqua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eastumpqua/32/6025_2.png) [@EastUmpqua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EastUmpqua)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/201 "2023-02-05T00:38:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > This thing looked like a weather balloon, acted like a weather balloon, and the people who launched it said it was a weather balloon. Maybe it really is a weather balloon? Most [weather balloons](https://www.highaltitudescience.com/pages/intro-to-weather-balloons) don’t make it 3/4 way around the northern hemisphere. If it’s a weather balloon, it’s a special one… ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/202 "2023-02-05T01:02:50Z")
DoD Statement: [https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3288543/f-22-safely-shoots-down-chinese-spy-balloon-off-south-carolina-coast/](https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3288543/f-22-safely-shoots-down-chinese-spy-balloon-off-south-carolina-coast/) _Long before the shoot down, U.S. officials took steps to protect against the balloon’s collection of sensitive information, mitigating its intelligence value to the Chinese. The senior defense official said the recovery of the balloon will enable U.S. analysts to examine sensitive Chinese equipment. “I would also note that while we took all necessary steps to protect against the PRC surveillance balloon’s collection of sensitive information, the surveillance balloon’s overflight of U.S. territory was of intelligence value to us,” the official said. "I can’t go into more detail, but we were able to study and scrutinize the balloon and its equipment, which has been valuable._ It was no weather balloon. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/203 "2023-02-05T01:29:34Z")
This raises the question on the best way to procure a balloon. Although I am unqualified to answer this, I can think of some ways which are fun but may not be practical. One involves the use of lawn darts, another pulling a reverse Scrooge McDuck and using the hull of an abandoned shipwreck. But I’m guessing they did it in less entertaining ways, such as rubbing the balloon fiercely close to a gas station tank. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/204 "2023-02-05T01:30:29Z")
best vid I’v seen so far … allows for more context > **[r/aviation - Supersonic F-22 shoots down Chinese spy balloon](https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/10tqn4n/supersonic_f22_shoots_down_chinese_spy_balloon/)** > > 3,173 votes and 518 comments so far on Reddit ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/205 "2023-02-05T01:34:26Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Oh, the humanity! I laughed. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/206 "2023-02-05T01:36:55Z")
Hmmm. More “Missile Command” than “Clowns and Balloons” (10 points if you get that reference). ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/207 "2023-02-05T02:06:40Z")
In [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rJPv--l4Vw&t=25s) it looks like the missile hit the bottom of the balloon where the solar batteries would logically be and where the downriggers connect. It looks like the payload severed from it’s host. Was this the optimal hit or would taking the top out be a safer way to preserve evidence? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/208 "2023-02-05T02:24:26Z")
Did it hit the most hot part of the balloon? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/209 "2023-02-05T02:25:52Z")
Aren’t weather balloons much smaller than this one? ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/210 "2023-02-05T02:27:04Z")
Here’s a closer view: > (Video is clearer at source - loses picture quality when embedded in thread) ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/211 "2023-02-05T02:30:05Z")
My guess is the batteries would put out a decent heat signature. Especially if there was a load on them. What I read though, (too late to cite) was that the pilot headset targets the wearers eyes so hits where he’s looking at. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/212 "2023-02-05T02:33:34Z")
> [@Ssounder](#): > > What I read though, (too late to cite) was that the pilot headset targets the wearers eyes so hits where he’s looking at Helluva time to sneeze, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/213 "2023-02-05T02:36:36Z")
Nah. Once the system is locked in the pilot has control over when to fire. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/214 "2023-02-05T02:48:09Z")
> [@Ssounder](#): > > My guess is the batteries would put out a decent heat signature. why would they? … ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/215 "2023-02-05T02:56:20Z")
_Heat is generated on recharge, float charge and discharge. The heat generated on charge is finite, i.e. once the battery is fully charged no more heat is generated but at this point the battery enters the float charge phase and as long as the battery is on charge, heat is being generated. Heat generated on discharge is also finite because once the battery is fully discharged no more heat will be generated._ [How much heat does a lead acid battery generate](https://www.blueboxbatteries.co.uk/blog/how-much-heat-does-a-lead-acid-battery-generate-53#.Y98ZSa3MLiU) Lithium: [Thermal analysis of lithium-ion batteries](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378775304008596) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/216 "2023-02-05T04:03:44Z")
> [@EastUmpqua](#): > > It makes sense that we shot it down just off shore. It seems that a water landing won’t damage the device as much, and it’s easy to retrieve. It will be interesting to see what this thing is… And we could have done exactly that in Alaska. Instead of letting it fly over the entire continental US. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/217 "2023-02-05T04:11:40Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Aren’t weather balloons much smaller than this one? A weather balloon would fit in a small closet. This was said to be 3 school buses in size which would be 135 feet or the the size of a house. That would make the payload substantially larger than a weather balloon… For China to say it’s just a commercial balloon is a weak attempt to hand wave it away. Whether it was commercial or military they don’t have permission to enter US airspace. It’s just that simple. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/218 "2023-02-05T04:45:59Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > And we could have done exactly that in Alaska. A land expedition into the Alaskan bush in the middle of winter is clearly a much better way of retrieving the captured balloon than downing it in shallow water just offshore. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/219 "2023-02-05T04:51:48Z")
They could have just dropped paratroopers on motorcycles to recover it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/220 "2023-02-05T04:54:23Z")
With frickin’ lasers on their heads! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228.md?page=12)