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The Air Force May Have Actually Shot Down a Wholesome Ham Radio Balloon:

The Air Force May Have Actually Shot Down a Wholesome Ham Radio Balloon:

From : popularmechanics.com on 2023-02-19

The U.S. Air Force may have shot down an inexpensive pico balloon from ham radio enthusiasts last week, thinking it was something bigger.
Pico balloons are usually used to measure weather variables. Thousands of pico balloons are launched every day, which could create further headaches for the Air Force. Unfortunately for those who want to believe, it's looking less and less likely that the U.S. Air Force hit an alien spacecraft when it recently downed a mysterious flying object. Instead, the truth is probably a bit more awkward. Aviation enthusiast Iaaan Kluft noted on Twitter that a pico balloon known as K9YO-15 would have been at the same place where the U.S. Air Force shot down the object recently. The balloon was launched from Illinois on October 10, 2022, and circled the globe seven times. There are a lot of balloons up in the air, and it doesn't seem like anyone's keeping close track of them. Sending up balloons is popular among some ham radio enthusiasts, but larger balloons require FAA clearance. Smaller balloons, known as "pico" balloons, have a payload of 4 pounds.

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The Air Force May Have Actually Shot Down a Wholesome Ham Radio Balloon:
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