Many questions remain after China balloon shot down

Universities launch research balloons like this all the time to research the climate and pollution, some of them even circumnavigate the globe and collect scientific data for analysis by grad students.

Why is it suddenly a big issue now?

And if it's okay to shoot down these balloons which are almost up in space, can China retaliate by shooting down a US satellite that crosses over China?

U.S. officials say the Biden administration was aware of it even before it crossed into American airspace in Alaska early this past week.

The Pentagon says the balloon, which was carrying sensors and surveillance equipment, was maneuverable and showed it could change course.

Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said Chinese surveillance balloons have been sighted on numerous occasions over the past five years in different parts of the Pacific, including near sensitive U.S. military installations in Hawaii.

Officials said the U.S. monitored it, using "a variety of methods" including aircraft. The Pentagon said the balloon wasn't a military threat and didn't give China any surveillance capabilities it didn't already have with spy satellites.

One official said the sensor package the balloon was carrying weighed as much as 1,000 pounds. The balloon was large enough and high enough in the air that the potential debris field could stretch for miles, with no control over where it would eventually land.

if it can change course, then it was never lost but deliberate. That's likely how another balloon got to Hawaii, when no trade winds from China would have gotten it there (actually in the northern tropics, the winds go West to East, opposite the direction from China to Hawaii)

It's actually smart that they shot it down over their territorial waters instead of over land: (A) After clearing the area of planes and ships, it minimizes possible large debris casualties. (B) They can recover as much of it as possible intact on the shallower waters off the continental shelf before the deep ocean.

And if it's okay to shoot down these balloons which are almost up in space, can China retaliate by shooting down a US satellite that crosses over China?

The balloon is nowhere close to space. Space is defined as past the "Karman Line" which from ground is 100 km = 330,000 feet. The balloon is only around 60,000 feet

The US U2 spy plane that the Soviet Union shot down over Russia was at 80,000 feet

The US govt and military are going to look silly if this turns out to be a weather balloon. A US media report said the object passed over Japan on its way, but I've heard nothing about that.

The US govt and military are going to look silly if this turns out to be a weather balloon. A US media report said the object passed over Japan on its way, but I've heard nothing about that.

The likely path would had take it over Japan:

https://www.newsweek.com/chinese-spy-balloon-tracker-questions-shot-down-1778754#slideshow/2189877

If it's indeed a weather balloon lost or not, it's irresponsible that China did not give other countries a heads up about it. It's very large and possibly a danger to planes on the air and a crash landing on people on the ground. If it's civilian, then there's no reason for China to withhold that information from countries in its path

Seems yet another balloon is now cited over South America (Venezuela, Colombia):

"Photos Appear to Show Second Chinese Balloon Passing Over Latin America"

https://www.newsweek.com/photos-appear-show-second-chinese-balloon-passing-over-latin-america-1778949

If that's another Chinese balloon, how's a supposed weather balloon get so far there, where the trade winds go West to East (opposite the direction from China to Venezuela)

Why is it suddenly a big issue now?

US satelittes dont carry bioweapons.

This is exactly what Japan etc. should do whenever a communist vessel, airplane, missile enters or crosses their territory, history has taught us over and over we cant trust these people (goverment).

Why is it suddenly a big issue now?

Because it was so big and so highly visible. This isn't the first, cough cough, "weather balloon" to cross the US from China. It was just the biggest and most visible. Once the press started covering it the event took on a life of its own.

just a few thoughts.

in 2023 when both USA and China have many satellites above-using of "espionage chinese" baloon makes zero sense.again its not 1950 when west have sent balloons over east europe for spying but 2023

cui bono? is next question.

i just guess that this is just a crap for lower iq propaganda news consumers to get an idea abt "chinese threat".target of it are people who dont need to think,consider or compare-just consume "news" and beleive to all crap published as thinking "hurts"...

One of the balloon trains crash-landed at the Roswell Army Airfield in 1947, and Air Force personnel who were not aware of the program found debris. The unusual experimental equipment made it difficult to identify, leaving the airmen with unanswered questions that over time - aided by UFO enthusiasts - took on a life of their own.

Echoes of the "Battle of Los Angeles" too..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Los_Angeles

"Eastmann" (China surely cant keep low profile),

This was a TEST, communist China got all the information they were looking for.

Not only the data collected by the balloon but what our response was, along with our capability to jam their radio signals. They were able to continue to control its flight path for DAYS over US soil.

Next time, it won't be a balloon and the president won't have three or 4 days to make a decision. Maybe 3-4 minutes.

where the trade winds go West to East (opposite the direction from China to Venezuela)

Um, you might want to review your geography. Traveling from China to the US or to Venezuela, one goes from the west to the east, east across the Pacific Ocean.

Check out this map and you will see air currents from the Yellow Sea head east to the Gulf of Alaska and from there split, some going down the Pacific Coast and some heading inland over Canada, which is the path this balloon followed.

https://zoom.earth/maps/wind-speed/#view=59.5,-161.4,4z/model=icon

US has weather buoys in most of the ocean,some are saildrone that wonder the ocean collecting data,some even have camera,taking pictures periodically,the closest one in Asia is off the coast of South Korea

Will the conspiracy lunes freak out about this as much as they did about gas stoves?

With good reason

https://headlineusa.com/biden-admin-gas-stove-crackdown/

https://nypost.com/2023/02/04/biden-administration-tried-to-hide-chinese-spy-balloon-from-american-public/

This admin is just weak and downright scary.

Spy balloon.

While the USA regularly boasts about its spy capabilities using satellites.

Now seeing China has already demonstrated in 2007 it has satellite killing rockets.

So what next? If a USA satellite "loitered" over sensitive areas of China would the Chinese be justified is shooting it down?

The USA seems dead set on war within this decade with the political ground work being prepared.

This balloon, the day before the CIA claiming Xi ordered the military to take Taiwan by 2027.

I have no doubt China is planning to take Taiwan one day one way or another.

But I also have no doubt the present USA government leaders are looking for a fight to distract the population and regain power and control in the world.

Antique,the US do not need any distraction,as an American,I am well focus on my country policies,I am American that deal with my country problem and do not run too another country ,from my past problem in my country

Japanese were notorious for sending balloons over the US to crash and start forest fires and even had plan to use balloons to infect American with biological disease carried on the balloons Google Japan Balloon Warfare

@Yrral. Yes. I think that two people were killed by one of these balloons carrying an explosive device.

It's kind of like getting a grab-bag and not knowing what's inside. This could be interesting.

Antiquesaving: present USA government leaders are looking for a fight

Vs

Bass: This admin is just weak

Looks like we have both sides represented.

Looks like we have both sides represented.

lol, hating on America from within and hating on America from without.

He still failed the test.

hid the information from the American people for 2 days and took him 2 more days to decide about an obvious course of action.

biden doesn’t do “military” very well.

Correct to down the thing over water!

> > And if it's okay to shoot down these balloons which are almost up in space, can China retaliate by shooting down a US satellite that crosses over China?

you…you really are one of the dimmer posters on here, did you know that?

”Almost up in space” lol….the A330 I was on last week was almost “up in space” too then. What a joke.

Looks like we have both sides represented.

So what’s Biden’s excuse? Contemplating which flavor ice cream he should get or shooting the balloon down?

A Republican president would have shot it down with his bare hands.

No, missile. Superman would have taken it down with his barehands.

While wearing a leather jacket and snarling. With a giant American flag behind him.

I like that image!!!

Biden is weak and a warmonger. And wants to take away all the things that define American masculinity.

Yup!

Time for Gym Jordan to roll up his sleeves and investigate this incompetent and doddering criminal warmongering mastermind.

Yup!

He still failed the test. hid the information from the American people for 2 days and took him 2 more days to decide about an obvious course of action. biden doesn’t do “military” very well.

This admin is just weak and downright scary.

But I also have no doubt the present USA government leaders are looking for a fight to distract the population and regain power and control in the world.

Interesting diversion of views from our far-right posters here...

Some say Biden is a "war-monger" just waiting to attack China...

Others think he should have responded with force and shot down this Chinese balloon earlier...

Of course, go to a thread on Ukraine and you see these same posters do a 180 degree flip-flop....suddenly "Biden wants war" and is ready to "start WW III" for supporting Ukraine over their beloved Russia.

With all this "flip-flopping" it's as if they forget what lives on in their archive...

Do you suspect another reason Biden chose to listen to the experts and not tshoot down the balloon over land?

If that were true then it’s the first time that Joe listened to anyone.

Maybe because he’s in cahoots with the CCP?

That’s looking more and more like it to various degrees.

Well the article clearly said the same thing happened under Trump....twice. My guess is that he didn't do anything because of the business dealings with Don Jr. and China.

Yes, I figured that out from my keyboard and internet message boards, but trust me, it's legit.

DT,this balloon was probably guided by GPS Coordinates,a balloon would follow the jet stream ,but had some external propulsion

On Canadian news they point out the Balloon was known for quite some time flew right over Canada, no reaction as it crosses Canada heading to Montana.

Suddenly it became a big deal.

I wonder what happened to the great NORAD system plenty of empty space over the journey across Canada to Montana then back out to sea to stop it if it really was a spy balloon!

So let it take all the photos upload to a Chinese satellite and only then shoot it down over the ocean where now they can claim the couldn't recover it if in the event it actually was a weather balloon.

So if they recover it and it is a weather balloon.

They will say they couldn't find it in the vast ocean.

If it is a spy balloon and they recover it then more points.

If they don't find it in the ocean then they still to " it was a spy balloon" no contradictory proof.

Convenient place to shoot it down.

Oh and no the "it was too dangerous over land because of people"

Let me point out you could drive all day and not see a single house or person Montana 380,000 km2 for 1.1 million people ( Japan is only 378,000km2 )

So let's make this clear.

It went through Alaska, Yukon, BC, Alberta into Montana. very sparsely populated.

Wait until the balloon is over the lower 48 to make a big deal about it

Then wait for it to cross again sparsely populated Idaho through Neva and California before shooting it down conveniently over the ocean where it will sink.

If it had been shot down over Montana

That would have been the end of that and China would have reservations about attempting to do that again.

we would have been able to recover Hunter’s laptop.

No, that’s for the House Intelligence Committee to look at….and they are.

Things dropped onto frozen earth from 60,000 feet usually sustain minimal damage. Now we may never fully understand the depth of collusion between the CCP and the Biden Crime Syndicate.

Well, we shall see. You need all the pieces of the puzzle to create a picture.

Well the article clearly said the same thing happened under Trump....twice.

Well, we don’t know, video?

My guess is that he didn't do anything because of the business dealings with Don Jr. and China.

You are confusing Don Jr. with Eric Swalwell.

Just shooting the balloon down with a missile is the most irresponsible and incompetent method to deal with the situation.

Then to flounder around in the water pretending to gather all the pieces.

They should have captured it and dragged it off to a secure location and thoroughly inspected it.

The USA answer to everything is just to blow it up ?

Ridiculous !

U.S. officials say the Biden administration was aware of it even before it crossed into American airspace in Alaska early this past week.

So couldn’t have shot it down in the other ocean or even Alaska before it gathered all the Intel over 5 days and sent it to CCP?

Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said Chinese surveillance balloons have been sighted on numerous occasions over the past five years in different parts of the Pacific, including near sensitive U.S. military installations in Hawaii.

This must be false. The fact is this spy balloon was the first ever to enter US territory. China waited until now because they knew the Biden Crime Syndicate wouldn’t do a thing because of its dirty business in China.

Why don’t you MAGA people just outright say this instead of beating around the bush?

The "Intel" is probably seeing how people react to this. Maybe they'll make a Chinese "Borat" movie out of it.

So couldn’t have shot it down in the other ocean or even Alaska before it gathered all the Intel over 5 days and sent it to CCP?

So why didn't Canada shoot the balloon down?

Why don’t you MAGA people just outright say this instead of beating around the bush?

We did!

So why didn't Canada shoot the balloon down?

If they did, that would be a first for that nation.

Black: before it gathered all the Intel over 5 days and sent it to CCP?

Trump didn't do that and you love that guy. Love Biden instead.

I love all the rightwing outrage about a dang balloon. I bet these people argue with their own reflection, too. lol

Yes, first question, was it really a spy balloons? The basically US principle of guilty until proven innocent was applied in this case.

So why didn't Canada shoot the balloon down?

Good question. I am going to assume that Canada didn't have the authority to shoot it down from NORAD which is controlled by the US, or it didn't have the right military equipment (SAMs) in the area. Also, it wasn't flying over water so it may have landed on a cow shed (which is what the US said was the reason it shot it down over water).

I assume that there was a meeting and the US probably wanted control over the balloon, not Canadian authorities. The US could analyze the data and possibly see what the Chinese were spying on.

Overall, Trudeau is just plain weak (although he wants more power and control over the lives of Canadians) and can't act on his own without asking the US for permission.

GOP supporters complained when the balloon wasn't shot down. Now they complain when it is shot down. Rampant conspiracies abound.

Is there not much Congress to discuss and be getting on with?

We did!

Prove it.

USA must eliminate China Russia and North Korea from the face of the earth so that we can move on..

Are people trying to defend Biden's decision to allow the Chinese spy ballon to fly its course over the US mainland?

Now they complain when it is shot down. Rampant conspiracies abound.

timing and location were critical and were missed.

The cost of the balloon to the Chinese was very minimal so they could in future send hundreds of them. The balloon could have been filled with nerve agents. It was UFO for a time.

timing and location were critical and were missed.

I feel like the people in a decision making capacity have access to more information about the balloon than the average Dick and Jane, and they came to a different conclusion than you did, so I'm going with their take rather than some random punter on JT. Unless you have a specific reason to believe they're wrong, I'll trust them.

blacklabel

So couldn’t have shot it down in the other ocean or even Alaska before it gathered all the Intel over 5 days and sent it to CCP?

timing and location were critical and were missed.

you don’t even need to have military experience (that I do have) to know this whole response was bungled badly.

Including hiding it from the American people for days initially.

--I bet these people argue with their own reflection, too. lol

No, that would be Swalwell.

Wow. What a rejoinder.

lol Do you have anything to back up your assertions, or we still making things up as we go?

Already shared.

shot down after it’s mission was over. Too late. Why not in the ocean before Alaska or over Montana?

shot down in the water where it can’t be recovered to see what it really was. Wrong place.

seems someone was told what he could do, when and where. Because makes no logical sense as a “choice”.

Already shared.

lol Nope.

shot down in the water where it can’t be recovered to see what it really was. Wrong place.

What makes you think it's not recoverable because it dropped into the ocean? What makes you think they don't already know exactly what information they were collecting? Honestly, do you think the people at the top of the military are a bunch idiots, and that you know better them? If that's what one is selling, I don't buy it.

That the US government isn't supplying the public with all the information you feel entitled to doesn't mean they don't said data.

What would have been recoverable from shooting down the balloon? Debris over a wide area.

What makes you think it's not recoverable because it dropped into the ocean?

do you know that the equipment is waterproof to the point of resisting a sinking to the bottom of the ocean?

I don’t.

What makes you think they don't already know exactly what information they were collecting? 

how could they know without recovering the devices?

Honestly, do you think the people at the top of the military are a bunch idiots, 

if Milley (CCP compromised) and/or Austin are involved, that is a definite and provable- YES.

That the US government isn't supplying the public with all the information you feel entitled to 

most transparent government in history was promised. Not delivered. This ballon was known on Jan 28.

But seeks you are ok with your government lying to you and withholding information until they have to admit it as true due to an outside force.

Does the government need to release all information to the public when it knows it?

I don’t.

And yet you definitively asserted the data isn't recoverable. News flash, dropping a computer or any sort of drive into water will physically ruin the data the electronic, but it's still quite possible for someone, say a three letter bureau, with thousands of employees and a multi-billion dollar budget to retrieve the data from water-logged devices.

That some people seem to think the US government is unaware that water can damage electronic devices is quite humorous.

how could they know without recovering the devices?

They sent airplanes up to assess the balloon several days ago. I have no doubt the US government has the ability hack or intercept the data being received/transmitted. I also wouldn't be surprised if disabled the electronics all together.

most transparent government in history was promised. Not delivered. This ballon was known on Jan 28.

lol Yes, Black the Biden isn't transparent because they don't share all facets of national security with the general public. lol

All governments restrict their public information. Some of it is classified.

All governments restrict their public information. Some of it is classified.

This administration seems to do this a bit too much.

bass4funk

   All governments restrict their public information. Some of it is classified.

> This administration seems to do this a bit too much.

How would you even know if it's restricted information?

A lot of hot air just over a balloon.

*The Chinese spy balloon was shot down at 2:39 p.m. on Saturday by one air-to-air A9X sidewinder missile fired by an F-22 Raptor that took off from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.*

The aircraft fired the missile at an altitude of 58,000 feet while the balloon was hovering at an altitude of between 60,000 and 65,000 feet.

The balloon was shot down about six nautical miles off the coast off South Carolina and the debris field is said to be roughly seven miles wide.

The U.S. military was able to gather intelligence information on the balloon as it flew across the country.

Good job!

BUT there’s more… “they’re out there”…

(China, China… what are you doing…

SMH…)

The U.S. military was able to gather intelligence information on the balloon as it flew across the country.

> Good job!

The information it would not have gained had the balloon been shot down much earlier.