# Why shoot down the spy balloon? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 7, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440 "2023-02-07T17:50:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/21 "2023-02-07T20:35:18Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > No, we do not want the Commander-in-Chief to be an impulsive dimwit that ignores his advisors, thanksverymuch. Been there, done that. Glad he’s out of office. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/22 "2023-02-07T20:49:37Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > > [@snowthx](#): > > > > How were the Chinese going to bring it down in a controlled way? Did it have a way to slowly vent the balloon to achieve a controlled decent? Unless we had a way to hack into their system and take control, I see no way for the US to bring it down other than shoot it down, which we had a right to do. > > Such things do have venting mechanisms. Good point. When they apologized for their wayward weather balloon, Biden should have said, “No problem, just land it where it is, and we’ll gather it up and send it back to you.” ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/23 "2023-02-07T20:49:49Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I was wondering if the missile could have been disarmed so it just passed though it, a bullet shot through it, I’ve posted about this elsewhere, but it’s actually kind of hard to shoot down balloons such as this with gun rounds. > **[The time a wayward Canadian balloon caused an international stir — and...](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/weather-balloon-canada-china-1.6737831)** > > China isn't the only country to face questions about a curious balloon. Back in 1998, a giant runaway weather balloon proved to be an international headache for Canada. > The Sask. weather balloon survived more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition back in 1998 ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/24 "2023-02-07T20:55:24Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > No, we do not want the Commander-in-Chief to be an impulsive dimwit that ignores his advisors, thanksverymuch. …and of course, if he _had_ ignored their advice, that would have been the story. “Reckless Biden ignores advice, thinks he’s smarter than the generals! So Arrogant! Risks American lives in attempt to “look tough”!” There’s no winning with these people, so it’s best to just ignore them as much as practical. [Maybe toss in a bit of trolling.](https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/05/trump-officials-deny-chinese-spy-balloons-00081257) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/25 "2023-02-07T20:56:04Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > “He really gave an order to shoot down a spy plane from China on Wednesday and it didn’t happen till Saturday?” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said. “Have you fired every single person that refused to obey the commander in chief?” And of course, Scalise is lying. Biden’s order wasn’t _refused_, he was just advised against it and chose to follow that advice. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/26 "2023-02-07T21:53:15Z")
With great lack of responsibility comes great flapping of mouths. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/27 "2023-02-07T22:14:57Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > How were the Chinese going to bring it down in a controlled way? What makes you think they did? Whatever data it was collecting, it could just radio down to the ground (or up to satellites). No need to bring it down. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/28 "2023-02-07T22:20:04Z")
I guess I assumed if they have been sending up a series of balloons recently they would not risk one coming down in a populated area. Bad optics. And that they’d retrieve them at some point when they were over Chinese airspace. But that is a big assumption - as you say, they could be designed to stay up there for a long time, and if they do end up coming down for some reason, perhaps they’d self destruct such that no large pieces would pose any risks. Or, they can guide themselves to come down in the middle of the ocean - sort of disposable. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/29 "2023-02-07T22:30:59Z")
I’d bet the end-of life plan for these things is to let them drift over the open ocean. At which point the heavy payload is severed to fall into the sea while the now much lighter balloon climbs into the upper atmosphere to remain there for a long time and end up deniably who-knows-where. The balloon itself probably has little interesting tech in/on it; all the stuff of interest to any adversary is in the payload that gets dumped into the ocean. After, of course self-destructively wiping all the data and programming from the computers and maybe even blowing up some of the most sensitive hardware with small explosive charges. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2023, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/30 "2023-02-08T10:56:43Z")
well I think the Navy still has a few blimps … nope, got rid of them about 8 years ago. bummer. But still, catching a weather balloon is not something that air planes are really able to do. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2023, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/31 "2023-02-08T12:30:41Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > well I think the Navy still has a few blimps … nope, got rid of them about 8 years ago. bummer. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ik9WEW2o8FA/maxresdefault.jpg "Everybody Needs To Get A Blimp : animated music video : MrWeebl") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik9WEW2o8FA) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2023, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/32 "2023-02-08T12:45:22Z")
[The horror!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-horror-of-blimps/152885) ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2023, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/33 "2023-02-08T12:49:36Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > the now much lighter balloon climbs into the upper atmosphere to remain there for a long time and end up deniably who-knows-where. I hear Roswell, NM, is nice this time of year. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2023, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/34 "2023-02-08T14:23:47Z")
“Mr. President, we cannot afford to have a balloon gap!!!” - Col. Buck Turgidson ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/35 "2023-02-09T17:06:54Z")
Apparently, we’re too late. They’ve got a world-wide fleet already! Now we know why all the Helium is disappearing – the commies took it. Next they’ll want our precious bodily fluids, mark my words. > **[Chinese balloon part of worldwide fleet, US officials say](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64572324)** > > US officials say the object is part of a wider fleet of balloons that has spanned five continents. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/36 "2023-02-09T17:40:36Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > Next they’ll want our precious bodily fluids, mark my words. Uh, we’re still trying to figure out the meaning of that last phrase, sir. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > After, of course self-destructively wiping all the data and programming from the computers and maybe even blowing up some of the most sensitive hardware with small explosive charges. The balloon apparently did have self-destruct explosive charges on it. I haven’t seen anything in the news about whether the self-destruct mechanisms were activated by us shooting it down. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/37 "2023-02-09T18:14:28Z")
Tom Cruise could have used an ejection seat to fling himself to the balloon, grab the framework and climb aboard. Then he could hack into the controls and fly the damn thing to the Bahamas. Mission Impossible 9 anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/38 "2023-02-09T18:43:36Z")
That’s completely unrealistic. he would have HAHO jumped from an even higher balloon at 128,000 ft a la Felix Baumgartner, landed on top of the Chinese balloon, and climbed down to the payload. the rest of your premise is plausible 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/39 "2023-02-09T19:22:38Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Uh, we’re still trying to figure out the meaning of that last phrase, sir. Just in case anyone is too young to get the joke, it’s from _Dr. Strangelove_. > [General Jack D. Ripper](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001330/?ref_=tt_ch) : Mandrake, do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk… ice cream. Ice cream, Mandrake, children’s ice cream. > > [Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000634/?ref_=tt_ch) : [very nervous] Lord, Jack. > > [General Jack D. Ripper](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001330/?ref_=tt_ch) : You know when fluoridation first began? > > [Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000634/?ref_=tt_ch) : I… no, no. I don’t, Jack. > > [General Jack D. Ripper](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001330/?ref_=tt_ch) : Nineteen hundred and forty-six. 1946, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It’s incredibly obvious, isn’t it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That’s the way your hard-core Commie works. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440/40 "2023-02-10T08:33:52Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Just in case anyone is too young to get the joke, it’s from _Dr. Strangelove_. Balloon attack, Plan R. Seriously, if anyone has never seen that movie, do it today. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shoot-down-the-spy-balloon/979440.md?page=3)