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An additional, 4d chess theory, is that the US now has something they wish to hide (for the time being) and intentionally leaked the first balloon to the media
by eightysixfour 4y ago
An additional, 4d chess theory, is that the US now has something they wish to hide (for the time being) and intentionally leaked the first balloon to the media to cause uproar and “have to shoot them down,” establishing a new boundary with other nations over the use of high-altitude balloons.
The counter position is the idea that these have negligible benefit over satellites, so it is irrelevant. However, why send them if they don’t add new capabilities beyond satellites?
- brookst 4y agoThey’re much lower cost than satellites, and if you think you kind find yourself in a war where access to space and/or durable space assets might be denied, good to have an agile backup capability. Might as well just run it to gain expertise and tech.
- narrator 4y agoThey could be cheaper than missiles to shoot them down and it might be easy to send thousands.
- sebzim4500 4y agoIt might be true that a mass produced balloon would be cheaper than the Sidewinder missiles being used to shoot them down currently, but that is because the missiles are way overkill for taking out a large, slow moving, easy to detect target. A dedicated missile could be way cheaper, whereas large balloons will always be quite expensive since you have to buy the helium.
- eightysixfour 4y agoYou don’t have to run the tests over “enemy” airspace.
- brookst 4y agoSure, but you get more data and expertise if you do.