4 ms·

If I recall details of this story as it was breaking - there was an emphasis that the US tried repeatedly to communicate with counterparts in China to discern t

by Alupis 4y ago

If I recall details of this story as it was breaking - there was an emphasis that the US tried repeatedly to communicate with counterparts in China to discern the nature of the balloon and cool the situation. From memory, the Chinese side refused to engage on any level... which ultimately led to the balloon being shot down. The Chinese are advanced - there's no chance they couldn't/didn't monitor a balloon of this size launching into their airspace. There's no chance they do not know the true origin and owner of the balloon. If it were civilian/private and/or university - this would have been easy to explain and prove. The balloon may have still ultimately been downed (it was violating airspace regardless of who owns it) - but the situation would have gone rather differently.

dmix 4y ago
Didn't some analysis say the balloon likely deployed from Latin America? If it was a Chinese university it's strange we don't have a 3rd country involved yet. Unless it came off a warship or Cuba or something.
- Alupis 4y ago
  No, there was a separate balloon over South America, also launched from China.
- pixl97 4y ago
  On the path over Missouri coming from the west coast... I don't think prevailing winds work that way in the US.
  - scheme271 4y ago
    The jetstream goes from west to east so depending on the particular path the jetstream takes a balloon could easily go from alaska to missouri.
    - pixl97 4y ago
      Correct, but not Latin America as suggested by the parent.
- kube-system 4y ago
  This balloon was launched from Hainan Island in southern China.