Chinese "Weather Balloon"

[BritDownUnder]

I think it is time for the UK government to get serious about all this nonsense and deploy that airship that looked like a pair of buttocks to shoot down all these damn ET balloons.

[automaticearth2]

I think that the craft in your picture is a Hybrid Air Vehicle, BDU? If so, I believe that Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson had a major stake in the company building these. I seem to remember that one of these crashed while carrying out a test flight in Kent.....

[Vortex2]

Years ago my office overlooked the Cardington Sheds in Bedford.

One day they brought out a small modern airship which flew for a short time .. and then went out of sight.

It had crashed ... ho, humm.

[adam2]

There seems little doubt that the first and much larger article shot down was chinese, and was probably for spying.
The three craft shot down later are much smaller and there seems some doubt as to what means they used to float and/or fly.
I consider it just about possible that they might be alien craft of some sort. Very unlikely IMHO, but just about possible. Much more likely to have some earthly explanation involving russia or china. But until more is known, we should arguably not ignore the possibility.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64620064

[PS_RalphW]

My suspicion is that they are commercially available helium balloons, possibly from China where they were either advertising “blimps” or were part of their new year celebrations. A lot of wealthy Chinese people like to put on a big display and are not renowned for their environmental care, tidying up after themselves. Lighted floating lanterns are traditional, and a major fire hazard.

[dustiswhatweare]

There seems little doubt that the first and much larger article shot down was chinese, and was probably for spying.
The three craft shot down later are much smaller and there seems some doubt as to what means they used to float and/or fly.
I consider it just about possible that they might be alien craft of some sort. Very unlikely IMHO, but just about possible. Much more likely to have some earthly explanation involving russia or china. But until more is known, we should arguably not ignore the possibility.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64620064

It's never aliens. I know because I have a t-shirt that says exactly that.

[clv101]

My suspicion is that they are commercially available helium balloons, possibly from China where they were either advertising “blimps” or were part of their new year celebrations. A lot of wealthy Chinese people like to put on a big display and are not renowned for their environmental care, tidying up after themselves. Lighted floating lanterns are traditional, and a major fire hazard.

Indeed, I expect there has been loads of these floating around for years. We're only noticing then now after the big one.

[PS_RalphW]

I think US should send China a bill for clearing up their litter.

[adam2]

My suspicion is that they are commercially available helium balloons, possibly from China where they were either advertising “blimps” or were part of their new year celebrations. A lot of wealthy Chinese people like to put on a big display and are not renowned for their environmental care, tidying up after themselves. Lighted floating lanterns are traditional, and a major fire hazard.

Possibly, and more likely than aliens. But OTOH, a spokesman for the US air force has said "US Northern Command Commander General Glen VanHerck said that there was no indication of any threat.

"I'm not going to categorise them as balloons. We're calling them objects for a reason," he said."

[clv101]

A major problem with this event is how public communications have been handed. They are clearly balloons of some sort, not aliens. The general's comments haven't been helpful.

[UndercoverElephant]

A major problem with this event is how public communications have been handed. They are clearly balloons of some sort, not aliens. The general's comments haven't been helpful.

The term "UFO" is custom-made for bad communication. "Unidentified" means just that. It's what something is until you identify it.

[UndercoverElephant]

"I'm not going to categorise them as balloons. We're calling them objects for a reason," he said."

Sure, but unless you specify what that reason is then I will continue to assume they were balloons.

[PS_RalphW]

The us has retrieved the sensor array from the first balloon.

[PS_RalphW]

US reports the later balloons were benign. The first one was a spy balloon but the US may not have been the original target, as there were unusually strong winds at altitude at the time. Japan and the area is seen as more likely, Japan has spotted several balloons in the last few years.

The US of course uses high altitude long duration solar powered drones for its foreign spying missions

[Potemkin Villager]

The hysterical, fact free zone speculation around this confected drama has been stellar.