comment: >
  
  Sometimes old tech is the best tech…
context: So … why hasn’t it been shot down?!?  This is our airspace. >
  
  They are afraid of the damage it could do on the ground if shot >
  
  A balloon over Montana?  If you can’t shoot that down, you can’t shoot anything down. >
  
  That's the information I've got on the local news >
  
  Oh, I’m not doubting that’s the given explanation; just marveling at it. >
  
  Yea quite dumb to me as well >
  
  Next time China cries about US flights in South China Sea... Just imagine the shitstorm they would have if we did this. >
  
  
  Just imagine the shitstorm they would have if we did this.
  
  I see your point here, but I'd be shocked if the CIA and other international* agencies weren't doing the exact same thing. That's literally their job. >
  
  If they found anything in their airspace over mainland China, the amount of outrage and 'hurt feelings' would be insane. That's what spy satellites exist for, to get around that. Both sides have spy satellites. >
  
  
  That's what spy satellites exist for, to get around that.
  
  Balloons, planes, and drones wouldn't be used at all anymore if spy agencies could get the same quality images from Google Earth or similar satellite services. >
  
  They can get the same quality from spy satellites though... Resolution from the spy satellite photo Trump tweeted out? 10cm, and it's believed others are good to 5cm...You could see the football at the Superbowl with that, or the tennis ball used at Wimbledon... 
  The rest are used for reasons other than resolution, such as being able to view whenever they want, not just when the satellite is overhead, or trying to tap into wireless communications, such as microwave shots and things of that nature. >
  
  I quite literally just said all that as I explained how your reason of resolution was wrong... >
  
  You're right, I misread! >
  
  Actual photo here. >
  
  That's funny. Why don't they just use Google earth tho? >
  
  if they use it they get arrested for using banned websites lol >
  
  What the shit >
  
  It was an Estes Rocket >
  
  Two-stager >
  
  We are going back to the 20th century. >
  
  Behold, my spy dirigible! >
  
  Nope, not even that advanced. It’s literally a balloon. Dirigibles have a framed Monocoque envelope >
  
  Not gonna lie, this sounds like a plot device in an Austin Powers reboot. >
  
  "It looks like a giant ball..."
  "...Sack! That's right, I want you to sack the quarterback! Hurley! What're you looking at?" >
  
  A balloon, instead of a spy satellite. That is too low tech. >
  
  Time to dust of the old Bloons Tower Defense >
  
  I'd love to see someone throw super heated boomerangs at it. >
  
  Montana? It's just looking for the rumoured dental floss farm. >
  
  how do we know its a Chinese spy balloon and not just some garage experiment? >
  
  The article says it flew over the Aleutian Islands.
  This is the location of the Aleutian Islands.
  So it floated from somewhere in the Western Pacific. >
  
  Chinese spy balloon found over Southern U.S....
  And it's down.