Live data from Hacker News

US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

apnews.com

431–440 of 864 posts

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#431
post #289
post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wondered about this too. But even balloons are maneuverable in some sense, by changing their altitude. So maybe the meaning is more like "didn't maneuver in response to our presence".

> But even balloons are maneuverable in some sense, by changing their altitude. Most balloons are not equipped to actively change their bouyancy.

You can use propellers to move up and down too. The buoyancy of a fixed amount of helium doesn't drop/rise much with altitude changes. It isnt like submarines. The needed vertical thrust to move a few thousand feet is minimal.

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#432

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it is just as likely to be a reporter's garbled understanding of an explanation. In mysterious matters wait until you have 2 or 3 datapoints before using a heuristic.

Agreed, but the "previous balloon" part may be unnecessary. User dTal is on the same train of thought as I was regarding the "not maneuverable" part. What other type of object exists which can fly and yet does not have the ability to maneuver?

parachute garbage hangs for some time at high altitude

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#433
post #404

latest: https://www.voanews.com/a/us-shoots-down-mysterious-high-alt... >According to the Pentagon, the object first moved into U.S. airspace late Thursday and was tracked by U.S. Northern Command as it moved over the skies of northeastern Alaska, staying consistently at about 12,000 meters (40,000 feet). >Pentagon and White House officials said U.S. planes approached the object, said to be the size of a small car, a…

[deleted]

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#436
post #4

I mean maybe I'm just not up to date on recent history, but when was the last time we shot down anything in our our airspace prior to last week?

Maybe Japanese fire balloons during WWII?

"One of the most unusual military actions of World War II came in the form of Japanese balloon bombs, or “Fugos,” directed at the mainland United States. Starting in 1944, the Japanese military constructed and launched over 9,000 high-altitude balloons, each loaded with nearly 50 pounds of anti-personnel and incendiary explosives. Amazingly, these unmanned balloons originated from over 5,000 miles away in the Japanese home islands. After being launched, the specially designed hydrogen balloons would ascend to an altitude of 30,000 feet and ride the jet stream across the Pacific Ocean to the mainland United States. Their bombs were triggered to drop after the three-day journey was complete—hopefully over a city or wooded region that would catch fire.

Nearly 350 of the bombs actually made it across the Pacific, and several were intercepted or shot down by the U.S. military. From 1944 to 1945, balloon bombs were spotted in more than 15 states—some as far east as Michigan and Iowa. The only fatalities came from a single incident in Oregon, where a pregnant woman and five children were killed in an explosion after coming across one of the downed balloons. Their deaths are considered the only combat casualties to occur on U.S. soil during World War II."

https://www.history.com/news/5-attacks-on-u-s-soil-during-wo...

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#437
post #382

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I realize that, but the Hindenburg disaster happened when it landed, and a balloon that's not carrying cargo or people doesn't need to land gently. It can jettison the hydrogen before it gets too close to the ground.

Is it dangerous to fill a balloon with hydrogen if you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing? Because that’s me. Helium just seems like I’m more likely to keep my hair and eyebrows long term.

Valid point. I certainly wouldn't want anybody to get hurt, or operate outside their comfort zone. At the very least I'd say that a helium system could be hacked (still some dangers from any compressed gas) but a hydrogen system would need to be engineered (and I'm not an engineer). And note the sibling comment about hydrogen leaking out faster, so it might not be practical anyway.

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#438
post #79
post #59

So what’s the deal with these balloons? Provocation? Do they think nobody will notice?

It's boundary-pushing. They're unmanned and ambient, yet are clearly a provocation and give China an information advantage over where it would be without the balloons, and in a geopolitical sense it asserts Chinese ascendency. At the same time, it's hard for the US or other powers to figure out an appropriate response. Very similar to Russian/NK/Chinese/Israeli/American state-sponsored hacking groups--it continually…

> it continually forces the adversary to ask "where do we draw a line, and what consequences do we give for crossing it?"

Sounds a lot like parenting a toddler.

Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast

#440
post #435

I like how the measurement unit seems to be either small cars or school busses.

Americans will measure with anything except the metric system.

the legalized cannabis industry is doing all it can, man.
Post reply on HN