comment: >
  
  Well, if they were worried it was some kind of threat, they would have sent some heavy electronics plane to fly by it and scan with an interferometer, maybe microwaves to map the interior. Likely, the military already investigated it, and they either found electronics or didn't. I guess they could always bounce signals off of it if they wanted to use it as a more passive system.
  But really, it seems like all of this would be high risk, low reward kind of thing. Most likely it's just a bigger than usual weather balloon that drifted off course.
context: Maybe we should send a super sophisticated "weather" balloon over China and see what they do with it. >
  
  Make it shaped like Winnie the Pooh >
  
  I support this idea with my tax dollars. >
  
  The 9.2 trillion dollar balloon was inflated by Raytheon. >
  
  Sure, blame the price tag, but that’s just cover while nobody asks what happened to China. >
  
  Aw we hurt Pooh's feelings he can't see our honey stockpiles anymore >
  
  I wonder how they'd feel about America letting one of those ballons float over to China? Probably not too thrilled. >
  
  Are satellites not a thing anymore?  What are we all excited about? >
  
  In one of the many posts about this someone was commenting that because of the lower altitude they would be able to “scan” deeper into the crust. The theory makes sense but idk if it checks out. >
  
  I’m confident enough in our military (the seeming one competent government institution) that if there was any real additional risk allowing it to continue as opposed to taking the balloon our days ago, then they would have taken it out days ago.
  Really not sure where this story arc is going though tbh. Recent news they may have sent three during the last administration?  Maybe they allowed it to go just to see how China would react? There was some rationale to not taking it out before, curious as to what that is