China's Balloon: One Question NO ONE Is Asking!

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I was writing a script for a video when all the crazy news about the Chinese "Spy" balloon broke. And it got me thinking, what if all the news and outrage and bipartisanship, is missing what's really going on here? Why Balloons, and what does it all mean? Well if you've been thinking about this too... let's dive into it! China's Balloon: One Question NO ONE Is Asking!
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:51 What We Know
01:40 How They Work
03:46 Power Onboard
04:43 Other Uses
05:21 Heights
05:47 Maneuverability
06:50 Why Balloons?
07:45 Bullet-Proof?
08:53 The Cost Problem
12:35 China's True Intent?
what we'll cover
two bit da vinci,spy balloon,china balloon,joe biden,china us relations,latest news,spy balloon recovery,spy balloon china,spy balloon news,spy balloon payload recovery,chinese spy balloon,what was china really doing,china spy balloon,chinese surveillance balloon,chinese surveillance balloon over montana,chinese surveillance balloon montana,China's Balloon: One Question NO ONE Is Asking!,balloon,surveillance balloon,surveillance balloon china

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Join on Patreon: geni.us/TwoBitPatreon Join our Discord: discord.gg/xWx7aqVr

[@mikebar42]

U know who Arvin Ash is? I thought you were him for a second.. u look and talk similar.. he does physics videos.

[@jovimathews]

12:35 What about a recap of “China Balloons” spotted over South Asia, Southeast Asia and Japan in 2015-2018? Are they out “out of course”? Why aren’t there any other countries “weather balloons” straying off course?

[@faica]

Kindly cover thermal solar cooling (not PV powered cooling) I mean cooling driven by thermal solar. 30% of energy is expected to be spent on cooling and heating and cooling is expected to grow as temperatures rise and emerging markets societies rise out of poverty, this is very important. Thank you.

[@eyeonchina2023]

Joined on Patreon. Thanks.

[@robertwalker5521]

Headline says "Question no one is asking". Silly comment Prove that no one is asking some question.! Do you possibly mean :. "Question that only a few people are asking". It's important to insert logic in comments

[@emerysmith1711]

The amazing amount of video and informational content blows my mind! This is the genius of KZbin authors. It puts general media outlets to shame. No big budgets and yet we are informed by your work. Kudos!

[@jamescinatl8265]

They should of dropped it over Montana instead of salt water. But that was no accident with Biden being totally compromised.

[@koiyujo1543]

My friend china ccp government is a genicidal regime dictatorship communist country

[@koiyujo1543]

Besides the balloon was the length of three buses (which weather balloons are usually not that size) and they also blamed the U.S. for it also do you watch China uncensored and that tik tok actually is a spy app?

[@adrianallen2767]

Really did you see the path it took to get to us? Why would you take a chance of shooting it down and a civilian getting to it first and possibly losing all that Intel that China just did for us!!!. You might be able to steer these things somewhat but once deflated, it really is at the mercy of windflow. Even if this guys theory is right about the Artic, that's info we now have. It is a great theory but I have to disrespectful disagree with it.

[@RJ67.]

And that's the design to keep you distracted from what's really going on

[@cet6237]

They actually admitted they had spotted it much earlier and had been tracking it before it even hit the Allusion Islands. So they could've/should've taken it out BEFORE it got over land.

[@rogerwilco1777]

I wondered why too? Unless maybe they were reverse monitoring it somehow.. figuring out what data its collecting and/or who its being sent to? (I don't really know how that stuff works).. ..but it still seems reckless to let it fly over the whole contintent like that.. it coulda had some bio-weapon, or a nuke, or an emp etc etc.. 100% shoulda been taken out in alaska within a few mins of entering US airspace without proper clearance.

[@mrgcav]

Its an invader. It must be assumed to be hostile. Shoot first and ask questions later. The military FAILED to protect the USA and its people.

[@ianmcdonald8648]

@@rogerwilco1777 isn't Joe friendly with CCP?

[@basedlifeform5413]

@@rogerwilco1777 perhaps they allowed it across just to monitor and figure out the intelligence it had collected and what its capabilities were. Or if you really want to get tin foil hat, maybe they hijacked the balloon’s command and control, then intentionally steered it across the US to politically frame China.

[@rogerwilco1777]

@@basedlifeform5413 dun dun dun.. who knows? maybe its those aliens from 'Nope' and we're all about to be balloon food?

[@alanjm1234]

For me, the real question was why the balloon was allowed and able to fly across Alaska and then Canada without being taken down.

[@Junkinsally]

You have to set your conspiracy mindset aside and when you do, the reason given makes sense.

[@Edgar-kl6us]

No, I do not believe it does, …

[@AB-sr6nc]

They were capturing all the data the balloon was sending so they could see what China was spying on.

[@tomaccino]

And how do you make sure the debris doesn't land on your house? It should be obvious why they let it pass through the land. Tiktok generation lacks critical thinking these days.....

[@AzotadorDePeruanos_12]

No lo detectaron. Lo detectaron de manera visual.

[@pvt.2426]

1st time at your channel. I was pleasantly surprised at how thorough and insightful your analysis was. Bravo!

[@stevebrindle1724]

Same here! Subscribed!

[@dukecraig2402]

Yea, how nice it is to hear a take on things by someone who did research and used facts to make an assessment of things instead of the typical knee jerk reaction. From day one when all this started I tried explaining to people that it being a "spy" balloon didn't make any sense, first off why would they need to use spy balloons when they've already got spy satellites that fly over the US how many times a day? And why would they use something so easily detectable against a country who has the biggest military and therefore the biggest detection network on the planet, as if you're going to do something like that and it won't be seen, I don't believe that 3 of them overflew the US during Trumps administration and we didn't know about it, if we didn't know then how come all of the sudden we know now? I think that's nothing but politics and someone who was privy to those overflights that's trying to protect Biden's image released the information so everyone could say "Well what about the one's that flew over the US when Trump was in office and he didn't do anything about it", as I said it doesn't make sense that we didn't know about it then and all of the sudden do now, if they didn't know about it when it happened how'd they find out since? My take on that is the Trump administration was smart enough to keep their mouths shut about it until they figured out what it was all about instead of reacting which could be all they wanted in the first place, to get a reaction and he wouldn't take the bait, unfortunately for Biden however the public became aware of this one because it could be visually seen because it descended to a lower altitude than it was supposed to be at, so he had to deal with the public and their reactions. My take from day one was that the Chinese were just starting trouble the way they like to and wanted to provoke a response, aside from starting trouble you can gain a lot of information on a country by watching the way they react to something like that, from the government, it's military and the people themselves you can learn a lot of things, from day one I've said everyone concerned in the government should have treated it like a joke instead of everyone getting their panties in a twist and freaking out which is what I believed they wanted just so they could kick back and watch the show. That being said listening to his narrative about them exploring the arctic for resources and it malfunctioning and them losing control is a much better explanation, but even my previous explanation made more sense than it supposedly being a spy balloon, I never believed that from day one, one way or the other I knew it wasn't about spying, if everyone whose been barking about them spying on us is really that concerned then they should get rid of their smart phones that are full of all these apps the Chinese have hacked into that has everyone walking around carrying their spy devices for them including the people that work at sensitive sites, they're collecting far more intelligence that way than they could with a balloon and maybe even more than their satellites, they've actually got everyone walking around with a spy device for them and no one even realizes it because they're too busy looking up at the sky worrying about balloons.

[@nacona5114]

My question is; If these balloons are maneuverable then, how did they "just drift off" into our air space? Was someone asleep at the switch in China or was this a test move?

[@paulkainer269]

Exactly

[@lyfandeth]

There appear to have been small electric props for mobility, but usually a balloon steers by seeking air currents at different altitudes. If the jetsream shifts, all the ther currents shift, and you've only got limited options for which way to go. Including off course.

[@grgmetube]

Also why do so many go off course. Is China just wasting balloons hoping that some will gather weather in the desired location. I don't think so.

[@extraspicywasabi]

I like how they got all the way to the USA, from wherever they set off, without any detection.

[@extraspicywasabi]

The worst thing about balloons, when they're popped it's such a waste of helium 😁

[@niamhc7369]

i love the way you state all the facts and clearly separate your own theory. really interesting and informative video

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Glad you liked it!

[@koiyujo1543]

​@@TwoBitDaVinci that doesn't mean that it was a weather balloon I mean bro let me ask you are weather balloons the size of the length of three buses? Also did you know china government the ccp is a genicidal regime dictatorship communist lead country?

[@thesaabisturbo]

@@TwoBitDaVinci again... Run for President

[@davidelliott5843]

Ukraine war or not, China will be investing in Russian oil and gas. Unfortunately for both, the people with the expertise (Halliburton, Shell, Exxon, etc) have pulled out of Russia and won’t be going back. BUT when Russian implodes, China will grab Manchuria (East Siberia). There’s also that black painted fool in Ottawa to be concerned about.

[@robertmeredith3940]

Another interesting video. I would only comment on your power estimate and reason for the weight. The solar panels appear to be aimed vertically because no angular tilt toward the sun can be maintained without propeller orientation. Consequently, at high latitudes the incident angle of sunlight on the panels is very low. Reflection of light off the bottom of the balloon may even be a major component and the only component above the Arctic circle in Winter. Together they may produce only a very low percentage of maximum solar panel power; and at night, nothing, of course. So to work 24/7, more than half of the low daytime power level must be stored in batteries, which may also constitute a major portion of the payload. The batteries may have to be designed to store energy from lower latitudes to power the thing for a week or more at higher latitudes. The solar panels and battery storage may have to include collection of energy just for keeping the batteries warm at the sub-zero temperatures at that altitude. They may end up with just a few hundred watts to use continuously, for other than heating purposes, since their solar panels are even less useful than those on the ground.

[@jaysonwallker1648]

Lipo or LiFePo batteries aren't that heavy.

[@brianhebert347]

Doubt it because the 1st balloon had the capability to maneuver. When it got over Montana, it circled one area, then moved east. Have you seen the tracking spaghetti maps?

[@mxcollin95]

Great video, I wish I could give you two thumbs up! You covered new angles and interesting info that I haven’t really heard anyone else dive into. Really enjoyed it. 👍

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mrpratster]

Yeah.. really really good info.

[@IDamian1]

@@TwoBitDaVinci Still waiting on how you found out that their signal was jammed!

[@martingilvray06]

I would say Rick the Chinese Balloons are to do with shipping rout’s, and there Belt and brace Silk Road , and to have a time scale if a North West passage clears of ice because Canada will make there shipping very costly when that comes to pass . The Chinese have put more Spy Satellites into orbit in the last year than NSA and the US Military also the Uk etc has put up in the past three years . They don’t need balloons for that .

[@crforfreedom7407]

@@TwoBitDaVinci 3 balloons now shot down 'off course' within 2 weeks. Care to revise and extend?

[@HamsterBrainStudio]

Very interesting! Thanks for the background info that is lacking in so many news bulletins.

[@garycornelisse9228]

Very interesting. I consider this a very probable explanation. Very good. I'm looking forward to hearing more. Thanks

[@astranc]

Ground based lasers would do the trick

[@davidgoh681]

too late when it’s near enough like holding a gun to your head with hypersonic nukes

[@smokinmoose2]

Yes, the cats chasing the laser dot could claw the balloon to shreds.

[@loufor1931]

Aim 260

[@anthonywindel8116]

Atmospheric scattering would limit any laser use on a target at 60k foot altitude. Although it's highly plausible, it would have to be an airborne laser or a laser mounted on a satellite or ISS.

[@argonaut405]

Just a wild thought, but what about putting some R&D into some model sized rockets that could reach that level of the atmosphere and then somehow tear a hole in the top of the balloon, so that the helium would flow out faster. It seems that puncturing the balloon is not as important as how and where are you puncture it. In other words developing technology to use a relatively small device to make a surgical incision instead of large costly aircraft, and one time used missiles.

[@katiegreene3960]

What a great breakdown...so many questions answered that I haven't seen others cover.

[@Paulftate]

That's our Joe. Lot of questions.. but,, get a lot of half-baked stories

[@johndoh5182]

The US Military has a lot of answers, but they aren't saying because you don't tell your enemy what you know and what you don't know. They were watching it the entire time it was over the US collecting information about it's transmissions, but at the same time jamming any signals that it felt were long range, for communication. They just don't publicly talk about what they do so they only way you get info is to get info from the people who watch the military.

[@mas-udal-hassan9277]

Karen...

[@katiegreene3960]

@@johndoh5182 sure hope so

[@ockertwessels649]

Hogwash

[@B00GPowell]

My first time to your site. My compliments. Very well thought out, researched and produced. Kudos to you! As to the payload, here is the "Chinese Menu" I'd pick. With some 6K plus to play with WRT "Payload weight" (beyond the solar array that was only about 500 Lbs worth of panels and say about 500 pounds of Alu extrusion for a frame but I'll take that to 1K to be generous let's add to the payload: FLIR, SLAR, LIDAR, ELINT, SIGINT Photo-Recon sensors and the requisite Radio systems (likely HF and possibly SATCOM) to beam the data captured, back to "Homeplate". That leave no less than say 5K or so worth of "payloads". That is a lot of weight to play with! I still say that they should have ripped it with a long blast of bullets. I nice scar from a 30MM would have allowed the lifting gases to escape reasonably swiftly. It would have fallen i(mostly) intact allowing for the shooter to follow it down and GPS mark the landing point to ease in the recovery. Also, you would Not have had the debris field that is the result of blasting it with a roughly $400K Sidewinder that is a kinetic weapon with as pretty large blast radius. All said, I do like your hypothesis that the payload was doing less "military data capture / intercept" as a mission and more linked to "GeoSurvey" as a mission. It is no secret that Xi Zing Ping wants to make China great again and holding resources is one way to get there. Its why China is so deeply involved in Africa. It's not altruistic, it's about Resources (Stategic and precious metals and shipping lanes). Great You Tube content. I'll be back! Thx.

[@donw3861]

CCP should applaud your great intelligence. CIA and FBI sorely need your analytic skills. Evidently their LGBTQ+ diversification program left out intelligence on purpose.

[@godlessblessings7020]

THANKS FOR THE *ALL THE DETAILS* TIME AND WORK!! WHEW!!! -GB

[@danrichardson4275]

As a designer of these things, I can speak to the allocated solar panels power budget. The bulk of the solar power is used to steer the balloon. Not in the manner that you are thinking of (a prop to push air), no, this balloon is steered by adjusting it's altitude to catch the directional trade-winds enabling it to move to a China designated target of interest to take pics and video. The power from the panels is used for LADAR to bounce a laser off of clouds to determine various wind directions at different altitudes. Then allot of the solar power is used to generate Hydrogen which is used to increase the balloons altitude to capture a Jetstream direction toward a strategic American target to take more video and pics which are sent to a China Satellite while using a portion of the allocation of the solar panel power budget to sent those videos and pics encrypted, then modulated by an on-board 5GHz spread spectrum satellite transmitter which is designed to undetectable and communicate in real time with multiple China Satellites in orbit above the China Spy balloon payload.

[@donw3861]

Aaaahsssooò, CIA very grateful for clarification, since it has misplaced its translation software. 😉

[@trafficjon400]

Sounds logical and the intelligence is very high with wise knowledge practices but maybe not so wise when they might have accidently let it get picked up in the jet stream. Jet stream and these locations were set out but they know we are very knowledgable about how and directions of the Jet stream is controled over high and low preshure weather systems forcing the smaller or exstream large curves the Jet makes depending on the strength of these Low Presure systems and high presure blockage and seldom Northern artic vortex. i don't understand much of this but you seem to have great knowladge in Both Meteorology plus Above . it sure looks that way but would not one think they know the Jet stream might be a lowsy excuse to run off track .i don't know but you must be or Are you a Meteorologist

[@paulhyde1834]

I believe that the Japanese used a similar 'trick' during WW2 when they launched a number of balloons loaded with explosives. They rose to the stratosphere where the jet stream carried them over the USA. Four people were killed when they found one in a forest while on a picnic. It exploded killing them. I think that is correct - if memory serves!

[@Ivan-pl2it]

Your memory serves you well sir. One knocked out power to Hanford and near caused our 1st nuclear melt down. Not wanting Japan to know how successful they were and a healthy fear of germ warfare that was classified info for decades.

[@revelationhallministries7337]

Mark Felton has done two videos on his channel about government use of balloons.

[@jameswedler2189]

They planned on sending balloons filled with virus' in them.

[@Zeaiclies]

Many of the Fugo balloons are still lying out in the wilderness of the United States of America and very unstable and even more powerful due to the aging of the explosives.

[@jameswedler2189]

@@Zeaiclies Explosives don't get more powerful as they age, but they can become more unstable.

[@philipmartin708]

I was quite surprised by the 7,000 pound payload estimate. I'm wondering if the air density/weight at that altitude was used, or sea level air density/weight was used.

[@XPhile19082]

You are spot-ON. I’ve been thinking of the race to the Arctic in terms of military strategy, but the hunt for resources is sooooo logical! Looking forward to finding your video about it!

[@fortyfour6626]

First time watching your channel. I rarely make it all the way through new channel content….but this was good! I like your style and delivery. I can tell you got a great team behind you. Subbed and thank you!

[@ChipEstrada]

His team is CCP, this is nothing but Chinese propaganda.

[@fortyfour6626]

@@ChipEstrada what the hell you talking about? No they aren’t. I hoping this is a bad joke that clearly went over my head.

[@ChipEstrada]

@@fortyfour6626 How much are you being paid by the Chinese government to pretend that those balloons have no Military purpose? Really you are over the top.

[@fortyfour6626]

@@ChipEstrada after being in an OR today for 9 hours, I can’t think of anything witty so I’ll just say minimum wage….and a fortune cookie when I do a better than normal job.

[@davebowles1957]

Thanks for the excellent breakdown and anaylisis. First time viewer, subbed right away. Looking forward to more of your stuff.

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Welcome aboard!

[@fifi23o5]

It's wrong!

[@888berg]

I like your Arctic theory.. what most people don't realise is that Columbia and Costa Rica are also part of the Arctic.. which is why they had a balloon over there too

[@LXBACK]

Love your analysis bro 👍

[@ScottLaceyMN]

Very informative video. I've learned so much. And your theory of the real purpose of the Chinese balloons makes so much sense. Thank you!

[@yawnberg]

"Inflate the defense fleet..." Thus began the Balloon Wars.

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Balloons and airships are so underrated dont you think?

[@GLJosh]

This sounds like a bunch of hot air.

[@patrickday4206]

99 Decision Street 99 ministers meet To worry, worry, super-scurry Call the troops out in a hurry This is what we've waited for This is it boys, this is war The president is on the line As 99 red balloons go by [Instrumental Interlude] 99 knights of the air Ride super-high-tech jet fighters Everyone's a super hero Everyone's a Captain Kirk With orders to identify To clarify and classify Scramble in the summer sky As 99 red balloons go by

[@rogermccaslin5963]

@@patrickday4206 40 years later, it comes home to roost. 😉

[@patrickday4206]

@@rogermccaslin5963 lol

[@anthonydavinci7985]

All your shows are Excellent, especially this show.

[@CrawldaBeast]

Great storms announce themselves in the simple breeze. I like your take on this.

[@threeMetreJim]

I'm glad you mentioned how much power the solar panels could put out. Plenty of power for signal jammers to cover a wide area from that height. I'm really surprised that there seems to be no ground launched laser guided missiles that could be used to take out something like that balloon (although possibly could be mistaken for some other missile launch, and that wouldn't be good).

[@immikeurnot]

Why laser guided? This balloon was downed by an AIM-9 Sidewinder, which has a thermal seeker, and seemed to work just fine. The only non-standard thing about the particular missile used was an inert warhead. Using a laser to guide the missile, let alone developing an entirely new system is just overkill.

[@threeMetreJim]

@@immikeurnot Thought it could be useful for other tasks and saves flying planes, there are laser guided bombs so not much stretch to a rocket designed for laser guidance. A clear sky, and there is little chance of escape. Edit: Just realised I'm describing a high altitude version of starstreak anti-aircraft system.

[@cgourin]

I would go with a powerful laser most likely on a modified airliner but maybe on the ground could work, there is precedents: the iron dome has a laser component to take down faster, closer, smaller & way tougher targets in a very short time, the now canceled Boeing 747 YAL-1 was built to take down ballistic missiles, it never was good enough for that purpose but the balloon is the softest easiest high altitude target you can imagine. Even if the laser was diffracted so much it couldn't pierce the thin skin, with enough time it could heat it up therefore rising the altitude to a point it would burst "naturally". I'm not saying the altitude/distance isn't a challenge but only one prototypish platform is really needed to cover a very slow weak threat. If balloons start popping as soon as they enter sovereign airspace the Chinese will change tactics.

[@jct1616]

I’m confident there were many explosive options available to destroy the balloon. In this case they wanted to take it out out the sky, but remain intact as much as possible so they could study it. As someone put it, they used an Arrow. it cut the base of the balloon, leaving the payload intact during free fall. Impact with ocean causes it to break up. F-22 is capable of high possibly highest altitude, and ballon would not see it coming. 🥷

[@WJV9]

@@immikeurnot - balloons have a very low thermal signature since the inside/outside air is about the same temperature, the electronics on board was not the target of the missile and they did not want to hit that so they needed a missile that can track visible objects not thermal objects. The material of a balloon does not reflect radar signals very well so that's why it is easy to miss them since they can travel from 60,000 to 150,000 feet altitude which is way above jet aircraft which can't operate well at these altitudes since the oxygen levels are low at this altitude. Rockets have their own oxygen/fuel source so they operate very well since the air is thin they encounter less air resistance.

[@eamonstack4139]

Rikki, excellent video - great content, thorough analysis and brilliant thesis. Based on data, geopolitics and resources limitations, your thesis has great merit, thanks, Eamon

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Thanks for watching and glad you liked the way we approached the subject. we normally cover sustainability tech topics but do you think we should cover more "news" topics with our analysis style?

[@jamesnotsmith1465]

@@TwoBitDaVinci Your analysis style can be defined as being thorough. A thorough analysis of just about any topic becomes interesting to someone ... like me for example. Your analyses go into aspects and provide details that are not easily found in any other source. If you are accepting votes, I vote that you take on any topic you want to and let the chips fall where they may. I'll hit the like button. (And don't forget about home solar power. I'm still collecting information to help in my what to buy and how to configure decision.)

[@fifi23o5]

The math is totally wrong! And with wrong math, the theory goes to toilet, too!

[@jumperpoint]

One reason to use older tech is it's more difficult to detect unless you're specifically looking for it.

[@chrisrygh6838]

Great content. Very informative

[@garydergut4741]

Well the first balloon sure seemed like it went over a lot of our military bases I highly doubt that it just happened to go the way by chance

[@johngreen4610]

Interestingly just before the balloon incident North America had experienced a significant cold snap which was caused by a southward dip in the jet stream. Last weekend knowing the wind patterns associated with that kind of weather event I shrewdly guessed that it would pass over my location in southern North Carolina. Sure enough it passed about 30 miles south of me. What I am saying is that this thing was not guided in its course it just went with the wind. Two bit is correct free balloons generally are guided by changing altitude.

[@BurningDownUrHouse]

@@johngreen4610 The balloon was capable of maneuvering, slowly yes but it had the capability nun the less.

[@freighttrain7143]

@@BurningDownUrHouse Capability of manuevering does not mean it can always overcome strong natural wind currents. Especially if stronger than normal during major weather events.

[@cybervigilante]

It went by air currents. Although balloons can go up or down, and navigate if the air current layers are known.

[@wtfdadduorp4619]

well, we have over 900 military bases all over the world not including any in the US. How many bases do each state have? How many secret bases do we have? I think it would be a lot harder to avoid all our bases.

[@magicstarfish]

The flight route of this balloon is not on Artic, another balloon is now on South America. It doesn't make sense.

[@kathywilson5732]

I live in Michigan and their was a balloon shot down over Lake Huron, no information as this story has died in the media. What’s going on?

[@jackiejames2406]

Love the analysis. The material it's made of, the lifting gas and it's altitude to assertain the weight of it's payload. That is the kind of physics research we do all the time!

[@KrazeDiamond]

1) US military tracked it since 1/28 right before it hovered over Alaska. 2/1 a civilian in Montana called it in. 2/2 Pentagon came out saying it's a "Chinese" spy balloon right off the bat. How did they know it came from China before China admitted it? 2) You can literally buy that balloon online in China for around $400 USD, as well as the solar panels, the radiosonde, and all the sensors. 3) Most weather balloons used for weather forecasts are small with a couple sensors designed to operate for a few hours. The ones used for meteorological studies & research require many more sensors and power that can really add up in weight. Rain Gauge, Barometer, Pressure Sensor, Altitude Sensor, Humidity Sensor, radiosonde...etc., all require power. 4) Extra solar panels providing excessive total power doesn't mean all of that is being used for the equipment onboard. The panels are facing all directions so it can maintain constant operation 24/7 without interruptions. 5) Since scientists in China calculated that the Earth's core is reversing, it's causing more extreme weathers, earthquakes, and triggering pole shift; China has been investing heavily into studying both Poles. 6) China has very sophisticated satellites that has mapped every corner of the US. Spy balloons may have an advantage in doing frontline recon, but not long distance spying, the transmitted data can be easily intercepted.

[@pogo1140]

Problem, by treaty, the Chinese were supposed to inform the US before the balloon entered US Airspace north of Aleutian Islands, then inform Canada before it entered Canadian airspace, then the US again before it re-entered US airspace. They did not.

[@KrazeDiamond]

@@pogo1140 Yo I do agree there, that is if, the govt knew about the balloon before hand. Keep in mind, it's still pure speculation that "the Chinese govnt sent the balloon". If it's a weather balloon then their govt wouldn't know about it. Their Weather & Science Services isn't directly under their Central Govt's, it's the same thing in the States. Most of the research/weather balloons are launched by civilian teams.

[@pogo1140]

@The Troll Hunter the team that is launching the balloon, is required to inform the countries over which the balloon will be flying over BEFORE the balloon is launched. They are then required to keep track of it during it's entire flight and inform the country before it enters that nation's airspace. This is not the first time they've done this. It's the 4th. It's not an accident anymore. It's deliberate

[@KrazeDiamond]

@@pogo1140 It wasn't supposed to hover over other countries, it was literally blown off course. There's wind maps that confirmed it did run into a sudden gust of wind. Now let me ask you, how do you know our own govt isn't lying to us? You have any idea how many times the US sent actual spy balloons and planes into China's airspace? So it's totally fine when we do it?

[@pogo1140]

@@KrazeDiamond The rules about operating balloons have been clear since 1944, perhaps the Chinese need to learn how to read? The Chinese response to the US sending aircraft into Chinese airspace is to shoot them down, heck they've attacked US recon planes that were still in international airspace.

[@singlefoot5459]

It is interesting that the spy balloon was meant to fly over arctic. But I don't think it was out of control to fly across USA.

[@dorothypoole8908]

Interesting presentation. Great job!

[@portfolio91]

Very good! I learned a lot about modern balloon technology. And I think your guess as to why, is a good guess.

[@luciddaze248]

I tend to believe that right and wrong are very grey areas a lot of the time, and there's definitely some value in your ideas. It's plausible that resource availability and accessibility is part of what they're monitoring. My difficulties with the artic idea is that high altitude winds that the balloons use for navigation spiral the poles in a way that will tend to always push the balloons towards the equator. Given that high and low lattitudes are one of the hardest areas to get balloons into if launched from outside, to me it seems more plausible that this isn't the intended target location. Their targets are more likely closer to the equatorial regions. Also, the artic is one of the few areas that you plausibly use recon airplanes to explore in a far more controlled way. If you look at other areas the balloons have been spotted such as South America, Hawaii, Florida and over Taiwan, I'm more leaning towards the idea that China are testing boundaries. Yes they're gathering intel, but they're doing it in a way that can be plausibly denied - "it got blown off course". There aren't many other options these days. You can't use spy planes over other countries anymore, satellites have more limitations (no access to shorter range transmissions) so balloons actually make sense. And they're cheap.

[@dustyh5599]

They also reacted to the balloon being destroyed as if it was a military unit well within its rights. They threaten "further action", as if it was the US being the aggressor. The ccp is a gaslighting sociopath.

[@phylis3917]

“Testing boundaries” sounds/feels EXACTLY right. Use your third eye (intuition.)

[@EDesigns_FL]

There are other matters that contradict this KZbinr's theory: Through the use of self-propellation and steerability, the Chinese operators were was able to maneuver this balloon over US launch sites and keep it there for a extended periods. It was not just drifting in the wind. It had a motor and propeller, and this is likely why it also had such a large solar array. The fact that the operators were able to maintain active control of the balloon also indicates that the data link was not broken.

[@ingridhohmann3523]

Liked 👍 your comment

[@stephenkalatucka6213]

It seems the US military is geared to defending against high tech adversaries. A low- tech attack using balloons, catapults and pointed sticks confuses us.

[@AlexandreMS71]

How to take down a balloon at 120k feet? Lasers, or microwave. Heat it up. Damage the solar panels. Fry it.

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

seems to maybe be the most cost effective technology.... the usa discontinued its boeing yal-1 laser plane.... it would be curious to try to do a cost and stats analisis of high altitude weapons.....would you watch a follow up video if we made it?

[@kingb8163]

Amazing Video Man!

[@G31mR]

He said a high-altitude balloon has the same internal pressure as the external/outside pressure. If the shape of the balloon is spherical, then the inside pressure must be greater than the outside pressure; it is this greater internal pressure that creates the spherical shape.

[@tbrennan169]

I would think that a directed energy weapon (aka laser weapon) could be effective in taking down these balloons. I do not know what the range of these weapon systems is nor the number currently in operation. Would be interesting to see this put to use.

[@chefgiovanni]

Of course it could take down. Lot's of speculation in this video.

[@dwilde649]

Leaves too much quote ballon intact. Send a stealth bomber

[@Wilett614]

the USAF also have Large Aircraft that have Lasers in the Nose for targeting low orbit Satellites . I am sure that they too ,could target Balloons from the Air . Difficulty is DETECTION of the Balloons and recovering the wreckage after takedown .

[@johannjohann6523]

Can never get too much target practice that's for sure.

[@Unsensitive]

@@Wilett614 my initial concern was what else you might hit, but space is big, so it's probably fine.

[@ericsullivan3642]

Fantastic deep dive! Super analytical! Appreciate the information absolutely hit the subscribe button!

[@MeMe-hd6lx]

Great info! Thank you! 🎈🎈🎈🎈

[@mikinozz]

Thanks for the very interesting presentation. I appreciate the considerable research, expertise and effort required. The weather balloon and oil/gas survey balloon theories presented are speculative, until firm evidence is produced. Whether such evidence will be released is another matter for speculation also. I do think that if it was a 7,000lb weather balloon which was blown off course, it’s an amazing coincidence that it was blown over a missile installation AND later a B2 bomber base. One might also speculate that it was a “dry run” to see if it could carry a 7,000 payload that far.….

[@halb37]

But why would the Chinese launch a balloon to fly over a B2 bomber base? The US is a free country, I can fly my private airplane over that same base at 2501 feet and take pictures until my heart's content. Or contact the tower and fly even lower. Better yet, contract with an aerial surveying firm (tons of them) to record anything you want without ever breaking a sweat. Spying is not what was going on.

[@carlwear1249]

Interesting Theory about the Arctic. Here is another one. Maybe they are using sensors on the balloon to measure the arctic ice thickness because China wants to cut a channel through it to make a shipping route to get to Europe faster.

[@RydarkVoyager]

Learned a lot here, thanks. As for shooting these things down, one thing comes to mind: high intensity infrared lasers. If they can burn through the mylar to pop it, good. Alternatively, they might deposit enough heat to disrupt their navigation/altitude/station keeping, sending the balloon off its course.

[@glasslinger]

There are lasers that will slice that balloon to ribbons. I suspect that there are none mounted in planes yet. No doubt the "yet" is now being furiously worked to correct!

[@treyevanderslys6400]

A thought about using a Laser. Couldn't a laser be used to heat the internal gasses; to cause the balloon to expand and rupture? Because a laser fired through the Mylar would cause; One either just a hole like bullets would render, or Two cause the internal helium or Hydrogen to catch fire and explode!

[@marenpurves4493]

@@treyevanderslys6400 helium doesn't burn.

[@808bigisland]

@@marenpurves4493 I am worried about the general mental health and edumatation of the moronic criminal IQ bracket too :-)

[@hevans1944]

Lasers do come immediately to mind. And the USA does have aircraft that are testing airborne laser weapons. But the whole point of "shooting down" a cheap balloon with an expensive missile, launched from an expensive airplane driven my an expensively-trained pilot, seems to be to show that we could do it without too much fuss and bother. Cost was not (and almost never is) a factor in military decisions. Generals and presidents use whatever assets are available and suitable to accomplish the task. There are two atmospheric transmission bands for mid-infrared lasers: 3 to 5 micrometers and 8 to 12 micrometers. The well-developed, electrically excited, carbon dioxide laser can be tuned to emit energy at 10.6 micrometers. There are at least three problems associated with "shooting down" a high-altitude balloon. First, simply finding and tracking the balloon with radar or a large-aperture telescope with motor-driven altitude-azimuth gimbals is difficult, but not impossible assuming a clear sky. Second, the laser beam, focused and firing through telescopic optics, must track the target very accurately to deposit enough energy in a short enough period of time to cause destruction of the balloon. Third, the beam diameter from the laser must be large enough, and focused well enough, to satisfy the conditions that will effectively destroy the balloon. These conditions are stringent enough that, with current technology, a separate optic (acquisition and tracking) is usually used in parallel alignment with the laser optic and is used to control the pointing direction of the laser optic. Sealed CO2 lasers are inexpensive and readily available in power levels of about fifty watts or so. This type of laser, with this small power output, is used by hobbyists for cutting materials mounted to a CNC (computer numerical control) X-Y stage. Mounting such a laser to a telescope with tracking servos and a beam-splitting mirror, or a fast rotating mirror-shutter, would allow tracking and shooting using the same optics. However, getting that small amount of power onto a small area of a balloon ten miles or more distant could require both large and advanced deformable adaptive optics, sometimes called "rubber mirrors" because the mirror shape can be dynamically changed with hundreds (or thousands) of piezoelectric actuators mounted behind the reflecting surface of the mirror. These mirrors have been used by astronomers for years to correct the distortion of images caused by variations in light refraction through Earth's atmosphere. Even without dynamic optical wavefront correction, it could be possible to get "lucky" and destroy a balloon at your local zenith (shortest optical path to the balloon), especially if the power of your laser was increased to, say, ten or more kilowatts. It is easy to construct high-energy lasers and large aperture tracking telescopes for use on the ground, where plenty of power is available from the electric grid.

[@cyberfarmsusa]

Interesting takes. With the polar vortexs events happening. We surmise this may have played an important role in the initial loss of these by China. Seeing an opportunity and given these "may have been" monitoring in the north for some time "capable of pinpointing" specific targets. They are thought to be a early warning system for launch events or something even more malicious. It may be that a group was able to take over and monitor data communications from these, tracking down relayed coms for exact data paths and center location or ai processes. Perhaps feeding of selected data while over sensitive areas. Maybe even creating intentional issues while undetected to test responses while secretly guiding it to a safe "drop zone" to be recovered by a team standing by to physically analyze the components and report the findings.

[@jordan390a]

The reason a lot of power was required can only be due to the presence of electronic equipment in the payload. It appears that there are also some antenna arrays on the underside of the PV assembly. I think they were monitoring for radar signatures, radio "chatter" from various services, and the like...Whether it was able to transmit its "captures" or not isn't known as of yet, and may never be known...

[@oceanhome2023]

Another reason for a serious second Autopsy on this thing !

[@scottparr5606]

You should see the pics people are finding of these Chinese balloons with stealth bombs hanging form them.

[@tiberiu_nicolae]

Balloons could easily carry a nuclear bomb, electronic warfare equipment, or even conventional bombs. If they get launched en masse, the whole swarm would wreak havoc on continental US. The only good defense for this would be directed energy weapons from the ground.

[@petersammarco7066]

Great information thanks 🙏🏾

[@crediblesourse]

Oh this is a neat take. Awesome video!

[@mrbruce307]

Hey Pete, we have a laser cannon here in San Clemente. It was built in the 80's, and owned by Ford Motors, Space research division. It has fired twice that I know of, but can be used to knock down balloons. I know you don't live far from here, so come on down, and check it out. It's about 3 miles past the San Clemente high School.

[@dwightdodd3734]

excellent............

[@James_Ryan]

3:55 it's the solar panels that made you want to cover this story :)

[@bedskinstruckbedcovers3846]

Your take on it makes good sence. Thank you

[@ivanmaglica264]

That is the first opinion on YT about that topic that actually make sense.

[@molliestanton2869]

Wow, Ricky! Thank-you for sharing this research with us!! This information was very helpful, and " enlightening!" I do have two questions. 1. If it was meant to collect data over the Arctic, why was it hovering over a military base for a period of time? 2. Also, wondering if such a vehicle could hold any kind of weapon?

[@nobody4u4]

E.M.P

[@canufi6my]

His research was very poor at best, all of his numbers were way off. He needs to go back to school.

[@onerimeuse]

China has tested using similar balloons as delivery platforms for glide bombs. Like someone else said, an EMP could be something. Or, the worst of the worst, they could put either a nuke or nuclear material on one and just have it loiter at high altitude until needed. In the latter case, they could theoretically cripple us, because if we shot one down we would risk irradiating a massive swath of America. For an idea of how large an area could be affected, look up how far they found debris from the Shuttle Columbia incident.

[@TheTor1193]

@@canufi6my give us the numbers and research because you're obviously not a moron

[@warbuzzard7167]

You have no idea what you are talking about.

[@Thescidude1]

Perfect platform to deliver an EMP

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

potentially....also scary

[@brando9597]

Great break-down!

[@rainbowglittergang1801]

Another greatly informative video. 👌🏽

[@durinok]

Interesting info about balloon technology I didn’t know about. I also have heard before about the race to open up the arctic for shipping, so this is definitely a thing. No idea if these two things are connected, but thanks for all the information.

[@IDamian1]

60 Minutes did a 40 minute section 2 years ago about opening the Arctic shipping lanes.

[@patrickday4206]

Just watch out for those icebergs! Lol

[@crforfreedom7407]

@@IDamian1 I don't think either of these events are related, but the US's destruction of the Nordstream pipeline just gave Russia more incentive to redouble their efforts and draw them closer with China.

[@ConradNeill]

@@crforfreedom7407 Except the US didn't destroy the pipeline. Nice Russian talking point, though.

[@crforfreedom7407]

@@ConradNeill We said we would: Biden and other state department officials made that declaration to the world. We said we'd do it, we did what we said we'd do, and now there's proof. It's well documented and on the web. All you have to do is look.

[@howardblasingame7961]

Excellent podcast & your speculation of Chinese oil exploration sounds spot on. Gotta share

[@NorthernNevadaGardener]

My first time here. Thank you for your presentation

[@CN-dv9nj]

I'm sure Chona just released balloons and they all floated iver here. Theres an old song that says brains don't function under a bad skill, I'm beginning to relate that to you.

[@dickyoong9527]

Great video. Good content and delivery. Viewed, Liked & Subscribed!

[@QImpact]

Interesting theory. One additional piece of information is the location of a previous balloon(s) (not sure if it is two, or just different sightings of the same) was near Hawaii and Florida. Either they are drifting way off course or there were intended for more southerly latitudes

[@daffyduck4195]

Wow. U did some profound research. Thanks a lot!

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Thanks, we aim to be as accurate as possible.

[@jangrahame4891]

Part of that boom on the balloon could have been a magnetic anomaly detector and/or a ladar for geo scanning.

[@kermitefrog64]

This was a very detailed discussion but shared with layman's expressions so that it is understandable to the common population. Thank you.

[@inspectortragic]

If it's for the commoners, they must have had to go back to earn that GED

[@wooddavid8293]

Thanks for the "nuts and bolts" of modern balloon capabilities. Also thanks for the reasoned speculation about the capabilities and mission of the Chinese balloon. Your video is sooo much more informative than common news outlets!

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

You bet, and thanks for the kind words!

[@jovimathews]

12:35 What about a recap of “China Balloons” spotted over South Asia, Southeast Asia and Japan in 2015-2018? Are they out “out of course”? Why aren’t there any other countries “weather balloons” straying off course?

[@ShefortheStre]

@@jovimathews yeah, US is not just the only country who got a spy balloon on their sky... So the theory about China using it as surveillance for oil and gas in the Arctic doesn't make sense.

[@gregwang8628]

@@jovimathews Thank you for caring for the East Asian people’s welfare! That part of the Pacific Ocean sea bed is also rich in natural resources. China has four times the US population, the two countries have different approaches towards feeding their people and moving forward.

[@trplankowner3323]

@@gregwang8628 lol, the CCP is barely concerned with feeding their people, they're mostly concerned with controlling them. Those balloons aren't capable of surveying the sea beds anywhere. Furthermore, much of that information is available publicly or for a reasonably low cost. If the CCP were actually so concerned with feeding its people, they wouldn't have given Putin a green light on his invasion of Ukraine. They want power and control and they had expected the invasion of Ukraine to be a proving ground on how they could do it. However, it turned out to be the opposite of what they expected. It has become a proving ground of exactly how badly they can't achieve their goals. While at the same time it has started a global food crisis that will lead to the starvation of at least hundreds of thousands of people this year and more next year. Some of those people will be ordinary Chinese people. That is a very sad fact, but it's a fait accompli at this point. What concerns me most is that my nation, the US, could be doing a great deal more to advert some of this food crisis, but we aren't. Some of that is merely short sightedness. Yet some are for a stubborn insistence over fake environmentalism. The US government is determined to divert huge amounts of maize to the production of ethanol for transportation uses. That is simply environmental misinformation. Though, at such a time as this, taking food and using it to feed the delusions of environmentalists while thousands starve, that is monstrously evil villainy! It has always been more difficult to control the people of the US than the PRC and Washington DC will pay that price no matter the costs. Where will the US send what little excess food it is producing? China, Laos, Bangladesh or any of the dozens of food insecure African nations? As I drive around the US, I see many of the millions of acres of farmland that are currently sitting fallow here. That bothers me greatly, but my voice is just that of a toddler shouting into a hurricane of self absorbed environmentalism.

[@curiousgeorge1940]

Re : cost of shooting it down ... 1) Govt doesn't pay retail pump prices for fuel. 2) Commercial air traffic delays are not cancellations - no "lost revenue". 3) Pilots & planes are running practice missions all the time. This one was good training for everybody. 4) Your numbers are a little bogus. (except for the missile)

[@glennburt8360]

On the other hand, I loved your theory!! 🤣

[@Munce72]

Great work Ricky! Scooby snacks for you. Comment; If the balloon can be steered against the wind, how can it be "Blown off course"? Possible payload: EMP Electric Magnetic Pulse. Ricky! Could you please make a video about EMP's and there effects after one is set off? One possible defense system could be other balloons with various weaponry.

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

there is alot of concerning info that has come to light after we uploaded out video... in addition to a potential emp video should we do a deeper dive on balloons and follow up?

[@WileHeCoyote]

I've been watching how crazy the wind fronts have been across Canada and the US last few weeks. The fact that its 38° ABOVE zero and not below, here in Minnesota in February, is proof of that

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

proof of what?

[@WileHeCoyote]

@Two Bit da Vinci ....that the wind has been crazy..... or more specifically that warm and cold fronts have been going crazy. It's normally far below freezing of course. And it's only 38° when a giant warm front of wind moves in from the south during the day, before the artic north wind smashes back in and plummets the temp in just hours during the night

[@WileHeCoyote]

@Two Bit da Vinci check out Microsoft's weather radar map if you haven't already. It is truly amazing. It's the first time since Halo 3 that I'm pumping a Billy Gates product! Lol

[@jamesvandamme7786]

It was -20F a week ago here in NY. But the Pacific ocean currents have given us a mild winter for sure.

[@tonyyoung1991]

the problem is china's attitude act like us is over reacting like…excuse me? air zone invasion is always a big BIG NO NO for any country, especially those who have air planes flying around

[@redwings9fan]

Your non-political approach is absolutely refreshing. This is amazing content, thank you.

[@johnnyk2305]

When I was a kid, we had this thing called balloon fights. Maybe that will come back just in a bigger sense.

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

balloon battles video coming soon. :)

[@julieolson1402]

Sounds like enough of a plausible theory to me that I became a subscriber. Trurhfully, I have curiosity that's like an addiction, and I'm always on the lookout for channels like yours.

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

curiosity is one of the grestest joys in life IMO ;) so glad to hear it Julie!

[@irgendwieanders2121]

@@TwoBitDaVinci Satisfied curiosity is a joy! Unsatisfied curiosity can be like a itch you can't scratch...

[@virginiaquiroga6631]

Seems to me that we should be very concerned because very easily these objects can have viruses or gases that can kill a great number of people and animals. Scary but I wouldn't put it past malicious dictators and such do these things. God bless us and keep us safe.

[@freedomspeech9523]

Pressure inside of balloon is higher than outside pressure, because of the weight that is carrying. That weight is distributed on the balloon surface and compresses the gas inside.

[@stephenkrampert3430]

First time at your channel very interesting. Could it be for a type of EMP we’re not familiar with.

[@timh6475]

Love this segment, thank you!!! I think, at exactly 7:09, first view, I believe after agreeing with your display of facts, this was a high-resolution 3D/web3 style mapping to create a virtual reality environment to study. 💖🐇🦄💖

[@jgrenwod]

Excellent and thorough summation of the this subject. Thank you for putting it together.

[@megiraffe79]

Hey there, greets from Canada. I'm looking for a date on your broadcast? Can't find it?

[@r.andrewwhy5828]

Mr. Fedrickson! You have very thorough research personnel. I also think it's awesome that you didn't edit your surprise in his name. We all at least learned one fact from your video!

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

I hope that wasn’t the only one! Cheers!

[@morenofranco9235]

Thanks, Two Bit. I loved the final math comparison. Like needing a bullet (not cheap), in a gun ( also not cheap) to kill a mosquito (too cheap). Great insight and presentation.

[@hrmpk26]

This is how governments always operate.

[@emcaccoc3]

The "cost" figures are rather deceptive. Fixed costs such as acquisition, maintenance, training, and manpower largely negate the "cost" of an individual mission.

[@richardnwilson]

Great video thank you! Another question I haven't heard anyone ask is if the meteorological data in the area at the time support the claim that it was blown off course. Also did it follow wind speeds and directions over the United States as it moved across the country?

[@Israel_Two_Bit]

That's a good point. But to know if it was blown off course based on meteorological data, we would need to know exactly when it was launched and exactly where it was headed. But it may not be possible even then to determine because of the balloon's maneuvering capabilities... unless there was a seriously unpredicted change in wind or something, hehe

[@mickgibson370]

But stopped by a Air Force in Montana for 2 days!

[@laulaja-7186]

Selecting a balloon's course by changing altitude, only makes any difference if there is a wind shear. And as for the difference made by adding thrusters - a huge balloon like that is still going to go pretty much wherever the wind takes it. So just judging from the physics of it: To say it was "blown off course" is just a word game, since balloons have no "course" but to follow the wind anyway. And to say it "loitered" somewhere is also just a word game; sure it could pick a less windy altitude, but predicting wind path ahead of time? Not really. What would be more meaningful is to know whether China really did notify the other countries involved - and whether they really did NOT notify the US. That would speak volumes about the intent.

[@dickstryker]

It had propulsion. Propellers and rudders. Think "dumb drone". If there's dozens of them all over the planet that suggests a netwrok.

[@iancrump2130]

This was interesting. Well done.

[@KevinSterns]

My guess - the balloon was for capturing and forwarding comm traffic. For this purpose, it has a key advantage over a satellite: the balloon flies at lower altitude than a satellite, putting it closer to the comm traffic it's trying to intercept. Also, it can be manuevered directly above the target and hover there for a while, stealing data.

[@danielch6662]

A balloon mapping the artic that got lost makes sense. A spy balloon listening to radio traffic does not need to be this big. It could be smaller than a normal weather balloon, would not have been seen, and would not have been shot down.

[@Gogiantsgo1]

Two bit, your video on this subject was awesome and your take on the issue was very intriguing! You offered some very interesting information regarding completely legal oil exploration in the polar region. That makes it totally possible that the "spy balloon" which I hated from the first time I heard of it, was in fact blown off the designed course over the pole by atmospheric conditions. Excellent theory! I so appreciate that insight but I'd want to see how the winds flow over the pole, wouldn't you?

[@stefanuswidya7140]

If China wants to spying, it will be easy using theirs sophisticated satellite other than silly balloon

[@cheekylade]

Looking forward to more of your work mate 🎈🎈🎈

[@dukecraig2402]

@@pa3465 Errrr, ever hear of a malfunction? If your experiences are anything like mine when it comes to Chinese made products then something broke and they lost control of it so it just floated along in the wind like a normal balloon. Given the number of balloons that they say China might have launched coupled with the fact that their stuff isn't of the highest quality the idea that something broke and they lost control of it certainly isn't unbelievable.

[@johncford3957]

This balloon showed up at the same time we in southern Ontario Canada were experiencing an arctic vortex of extremely cold arctic air

[@jeromemanoharan7427]

So if it went of course then why has there been several balloons? If it was one, then what was said in this video would be justified. Something tells me China is spying! There were no balloons when Trump was POTUS. We got a cognitive dissonance clown as leader and his weak. Everyone taking advantage now.

[@junkerzn7312]

I'm finding it difficult to hold back my laughter too 🙂On a more serious note, the easiest way to go after a balloon at that altitude... is with another balloon! One with big arms (and maybe an energizer bunny cymbal) to lock onto and drag the Chinese balloon down to earth. Intact of course.

[@luckyleafgaming3062]

Harpoon?

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

balloon wars the movie coming soon. lol

[@breadnewbie6326]

I really wanted to see that the balloon was painted with bunny face since it was flown near "new rabbit year" celebration.

[@ipp_tutor]

Steampunk anyone?? I love it!

[@MissingPersonsMysteries]

Excellent thumbnail!

[@RD-vf6nx]

It had 3glider bombs and that is why it wasn’t shot down over land.

[@ryancoleman7082]

Where did you find that information from

[@johnbranch8277]

Good piece. One thought; if this had been a unidentified drone or manned spy plane, we not have shot it down before it even entered the country. Certainly we would have detected a conventional aircraft much sooner. This makes one wonder when it really was first discovered.

[@jwwj30]

As I remember, a local newspaper in Billings, Montana first publicly reported the balloon 2 days before our government acknowledged it’s existence. Then the story spread like wildfire & they received no credit for discovering the balloon flying over their area.

[@carlfrye1566]

Ballons, how about we hold China responsible for all of the polution their coal power plants(they grew their coal usage from under 10% of world total to over 50% from the mid 1990's to 2016) are sending to the USA...that flows "freely", same as the ballons - correct?

[@IDATMAN]

IS intelligence actual tracked it from LAUNCH IN China. It went east to Hawaii, turned north to the Aleutians, then south east through Canada into Montana and on to SC as reported. We knew about this the whole time.

[@topixfromthetropix1674]

Makes me wonder if the "detection" was just a citizen who saw something weird and called it in.

[@stevec8352]

Didn't they say that they where tracking the balloon even before it entered US airspace.

[@Tuberesu]

The old saying "fight fire with fire" is appropriate you fight balloons with similar balloons. The balloons mentioned have a payload capacity of 7000 lbs this means that any of these craft can carry weapons capable of air to air contact.

[@caseyb1346]

Oh so thats why the US Corporate Government Complex was so upset over these balloons. Oil. Of fucking course.

[@rexcadral3468]

but, it's not just the $100K balloon - There's a reason for it to be there, and thus a cast of thousands in China that created it, launched it, monitored it, steered it, approved the program, and then sweated on how to respond when we found it.

[@user-we5vt5qn9h]

Then China people forgot to make it sky color.But white that can be seen by the naked eye.Spy balloon……😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@falconquest2068]

If these assets prove to be Chinese and their intended purpose is oil and gas exploration then they can darn well fess up to it from diplomatic standpoint! One other detail in support of your theory is that the jet stream is (for lack of a better term) oscillating more than usual right now. In other words it is dipping down from the arctic more than normal. Maybe this trend is pushing these balloons (if that's what they are) lower toward the U.S.