Another one bites the dust...or in this case the ice. A second Chinese spy balloon was shot down this morning over Alaska.

[muskeg13]

The "object" had been hovering at 40,000' in close proximity to the Prudhoe Bay-Deadhorse-Kuparuk oil/gas fields and processing facilities. It was dispatched by an Elmendorf AFB F-22 with an AIM-9X, with debris falling onto frozen Arctic Ocean sea ice close offshore. The U.S. Northern Command is in the process of recovering the wreckage.

Breaking: Air Force shoots down item over Prudhoe; temporary flight restriction over Deadhorse, as Air Force C-130 circles Prudhoe Bay - Must Read Alaska

The skies are empty over Deadhorse, as a highly unsual Federal Aviation Administration flight restriction has been placed around Prudhoe Bay, Deadhorse, and Kuparuk, as a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft, a Combat King II, circles the area at an altitude of 3,225 feet. (Update: The C-130...

mustreadalaska.com

Top Gun: Pentagon Pat reveals details about UFO shot down over Alaska - Must Read Alaska

It’s a balloon, or it’s not a balloon. It was the size of a car. But we’re not sure what side of car. If the Pentagon knows what it shot down over the Arctic Ocean, it’s not saying. At this point, it’s still in the category of an unidentified flying “object” that was north of […]

mustreadalaska.com

 

[Greg Boeser]

These are not spy balloons! They are children's school projects similar to the Flat Stanley craze that was all the rage when my kids were in school. When the balloon lands, you are supposed to take a picture with "Balloon Buddy" tm, and mail it back to the address on the back.
Now kids in China are reeling at the thought that their "Balloon Buddy"tm may have been murdered by a callous American war machine. I weep for humanity.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I don't think they said it was a balloon, just an object. Nor did they say it was Chinese.

 

[Sisu]

I don't think they said it was a balloon, just an object. Nor did they say it was Chinese.

How do you shoot down a presumably cold object in the middle of the night with a Sidewinder? Is there a radar guided version of the Sidewinder?

 

[muskeg13]

How do you shoot down a presumably cold object in the middle of the night with a Sidewinder? Is there a radar guided version of the Sidewinder?

It was shot down at 0945 AST. Sunrise was 0956. Also, ABC News states the "object" appeared to be floating. If it walks like a duck...sounds awfully balloonish to me.

 

[denoferth]

As someone somewhat familiar with balloons at extreme heights having been involved with them at Kadena supporting the Black Bird program and again at Air Force Cambridge Research Labratories I can't help but wonder why someone hasn't thought of simply making a close pass over the top of the envelope. The effect of the down wash on the cold-soaked balloon envelope just might prove rether dramatic and the fuel expanded in the attempt would certainly cost less than the missiles being used. Additionally, the added drag of the remaining balloon envelope still attached just might provide enough additional aerodynamic drag to lower terminal valocity enough to reduce damage to the instrument package.

My two cents.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

It was shot down at 0945 AST. Sunrise was 0956. Also, ABC News states the "object" appeared to be floating. If it walks like a duck...sounds awfully balloonish to me.

At 40,000 ft, it's collecting radiant heat already from the impending sunrise. Sidewinders nowadays are all-aspect, so detecting a balloon at that altitude and time shouldn't be rough money.

 

[GrauGeist]

How do you shoot down a presumably cold object in the middle of the night with a Sidewinder? Is there a radar guided version of the Sidewinder?

The AIM 9-X has the ability to target via infrared and has "lock on after launch" targeting abilities.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The 4th one shot down yesterday over Lake Huron was apparently octagonal in shape.

Ruling out aliens? Senior U.S. general says not ruling out anything yet

The U.S. Air Force general overseeing North American airspace said on Sunday after a series of shoot-downs of unidentified objects that he would not rule out aliens or any other explanation yet, deferring to U.S. intelligence experts. "At this point we continue to assess every threat or...

www.yahoo.com

 

[pbehn]

The 4th one shot down yesterday over Lake Huron was apparently octagonal in shape.

Ruling out aliens? Senior U.S. general says not ruling out anything yet

The U.S. Air Force general overseeing North American airspace said on Sunday after a series of shoot-downs of unidentified objects that he would not rule out aliens or any other explanation yet, deferring to U.S. intelligence experts. "At this point we continue to assess every threat or...

www.yahoo.com

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I know what an octagon is when drawn on a piece of paper, but that is only two dimensions, what does an eight sided body look like? A cube with two corners cut off? The UK news is saying these are not being called balloons, but the latest was the fourth they said and the first was definitely called a balloon.

 

[RichardSuhkoi]

I know what an octagon is when drawn on a piece of paper, but that is only two dimensions, what does an eight sided body look like? A cube with two corners cut off? The UK news is saying these are not being called balloons, but the latest was the fourth they said and the first was definitely called a balloon.

 

[RichardSuhkoi]

These in general have on board compressors so they can adjust their buoyancy. A semi ridged design sounds possible to me. A small zeppelin. This makes steering and propulsion more practical. I hope we get to learn about the debris.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I know what an octagon is when drawn on a piece of paper, but that is only two dimensions, what does an eight sided body look like? A cube with two corners cut off? The UK news is saying these are not being called balloons, but the latest was the fourth they said and the first was definitely called a balloon.

The 1st was a balloon. They are saying the rest were not. Who knows… lol

 

[pbehn]

The 1st was a balloon. They are saying the rest were not. Who knows… lol

I just hope none are pentagons, that would confuse things.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Here's why mysterious flying objects are suddenly popping up all over the place, according to the military command that's been shooting them down

The command tasked with defending North American airspace changed its radar filters to spot smaller, slower objects, revealing new potential threats.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Greg Boeser]

No photos. The balloon was photographed, but no photos of the other "objects" have been released.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

 

[Marcel]

Those poor school kids in China will never hear what happened to their cards attached to the balloons they released in the hope they'd get a nice pen pal in America.

 

[GrauGeist]

I know what an octagon is when drawn on a piece of paper, but that is only two dimensions, what does an eight sided body look like? A cube with two corners cut off? The UK news is saying these are not being called balloons, but the latest was the fourth they said and the first was definitely called a balloon.

I suspect they meant "Octahedron", perhaps?

 

[SaparotRob]

Show off.