> How long before some unstable government seeking to wreck havoc on its world’s communications infrastructure starts shooting down Loon balloons overhead? I s

> How long before some unstable government seeking to wreck havoc on its world’s communications infrastructure starts shooting down Loon balloons overhead? I suspect that the surface-to-air missiles capable of striking targets at that altitude are an order of magnitude more expensive than what it costs Google to replace balloons. If Iran or North Korea starts shooting down balloons, I bet the US Government will be happy to quietly reimburse the replacement cost simply to deplete the supply of SAMs that could be shot at other things.