Current:Home > ContactBalloon shoot-down has U.S. on alert. Weather forecasters know how to steer clear -AssetScope
Balloon shoot-down has U.S. on alert. Weather forecasters know how to steer clear
View
Date:2025-04-15 01:34:33
Balloon concerns have the U.S. military now looking at a lot of what an assistant secretary of defense has called "low speed clutter" in America's skies.
The National Weather Service, which launches about 184 balloons every day across the country, says they make sure they and aviation authorities know where all of them are at all times.
These balloons allow weather forecasters to predict upcoming trends and future storms. Some even give researchers measures of pollutants. And to make sure their balloons aren't mistaken for clutter, the National Weather Service uses a GPS to track each one and notifies the Federal Aviation Administration before each launch – many of which take place at airports.
"Balloons were one of the first tools used to collect environmental data, dating back to the 1700s," National Weather Service spokesperson Susan Buchanan says. "Our balloons provide valuable atmospheric data used to produce weather forecasts."
So far, all National Weather Service balloons have been accounted for, according to Buchanan.
"None of the objects that were shot down were NWS balloons, as none of our balloons are missing," she says.
Protecting National Weather Service Balloons
The U.S. has shot down three unidentified aerial vehicles since Feb. 4 – in addition to a balloon the State Department says is part of a "fleet" of Chinese military balloons. One of the remaining unidentified aerial vehicles was shot down because of potential surveillance concerns, while the remaining two were seen as threatening to civilian flight in the U.S. and Canada.
The possibility of the United States shooting down more unidentified aerial vehicles hasn't spurred much concern at the National Weather Service.
That's because they communicate with the Federal Aviation Administration before each launch – on top of GPS tracking each balloon once it drifts into the sky.
"Most of our upper air balloon launch sites are co-located with airports. For these sites, we call the FAA tower before we launch our morning and evening balloons," Buchanan says. "Some others that are not located near airports (Miami is an example) also call the local FAA tower before each launch."
The National Weather Service also tries to keep the public informed of its launches and teach about the balloons.
"We use every opportunity to provide public outreach and education about our balloons," Buchanan says. "We particularly focus education on what to do when the public finds a radiosonde that has parachuted back to earth so they aren't alarmed by it."
A radiosonde is an instrument that measures temperature, pressure and relative humidity amid extreme cold and nearly 200 mph winds.
National Weather Service Balloons
Composed of latex and synthetic rubber, National Weather Service balloons are filled with helium, and expand as they ascend to almost 100,000 feet – growing from six feet in diameter to about 20. Once in the air, the balloons can travel as far as 125 miles over the course of about two hours.
And the process of tracking radiosondes can send even more information to the ground, says Russell Dickerson, a professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Maryland who has participated in launches.
"As they drift with the wind, the location is radioed back to the Earth's surface and we can determine the winds," he says, noting that launches led by people and organizations outside the National Weather Service are also responsible for notifying the Federal Aviation Administration.
Once the balloons burst, a parachute gently sends the radiosonde back to Earth. These cheap packages, he says, are smaller than a large bird and are "basically throwaways," designed to not damage airplanes if there's a collision.
Around the world, forecasters launch balloons from about 900 locations that "give us a synopsis of the weather on a global scale," and some even measure smog and pollution, according to Dickerson.
In addition to regular weather balloons, there are other types of balloons in the sky that examine the upper atmosphere and stratosphere, which extends from about 6.2 miles to about 31 miles. But they're "usually announced well in advance," Dickerson says.
There are also balloons launched by NASA that measure ozone, which protects the Earth from above but is also a greenhouse gas closer to home.
"[Ozone] has a good side and bad side, like the force," says Dickerson, who says he would hate to see those balloons destroyed. "It's good up there, but not down here."
veryGood! (653)
Related
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Long Phased-Out Refrigeration and Insulation Chemicals Still Widely in Use and Warming the Climate
- This opera singer lost his voice after spinal surgery. Then he met someone who changed his life.
- 3 abortion bans in Texas leave doctors 'talking in code' to pregnant patients
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Americans Increasingly Say Climate Change Is Happening Now
- Billie Eilish and Boyfriend Jesse Rutherford Break Up After Less Than a Year Together
- What Really Happened to Princess Diana—and Why Prince Harry Got Busy Protecting Meghan Markle
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- U.S. Military Knew Flood Risks at Offutt Air Force Base, But Didn’t Act in Time
Ranking
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Pandemic food assistance that held back hunger comes to an end
- Emotional Vin Diesel Details How Meadow Walker’s Fast X Cameo Honors Her Late Dad Paul Walker
- 'Do I really need to floss?' and other common questions about dental care
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- San Fran Finds Novel, and Cheaper, Way for Businesses to Go Solar
- Teens with severe obesity turn to surgery and new weight loss drugs, despite controversy
- 5 Reasons Many See Trump’s Free Trade Deal as a Triumph for Fossil Fuels
Recommendation
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Does drinking alcohol affect your dementia risk? We asked a researcher for insights
Biden to receive AFL-CIO endorsement this week
Parents raise concerns as Florida bans gender-affirming care for trans kids
A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
Elle Fanning's Fairytale Look at Cannes Film Festival 2023 Came Courtesy of Drugstore Makeup
Which type of eye doctor do you need? Optometrists and ophthalmologists face off
Harvard Medical School morgue manager accused of selling body parts as part of stolen human remains criminal network