this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2023
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

There have been multiple incidents of Chinese balloons that "flew off course" and ended up over sovereign airspace.

If China doesn't want its balloons destroyed, it will have to do a better job controlling its "research instruments".

[–] zephyreks 0 points 2 years ago

You do realize that control systems aren't flawless, right? It's pretty common for balloons to be blown into other countries' sovereign airspace... It's just usually not talked about because it's a non-issue.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Balloons that follow air currents have blown of course more than once, wow that's sinister. The fact that US reacted in an absolutely deranged fashion to a weather balloon being blown off course is the real story here. It shows the whole world that US is run by a dangerous and unstable regime. The fact that such unhinged lunatics have the second largest nuclear arsenal in the world should worry everyone.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

But real weather balloons do not follow air currents. They ascend and descend over the same point, so that they can be easily recovered by real scientists. Real weather balloons are also far smaller. Various scientists, not just Americans, said that the Chinese balloons did not resemble the instruments they use.

[–] zephyreks 0 points 2 years ago

You mean, when you've been denied access to Western technologies, your technology looks different? No way!

If you copy Western designs, people say you're building knockoffs. If you don't, people say you're building spy craft. Can't win with these people fr fr

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Of course they do, there are global air currents that high altitude weather balloons follow. Maybe stop making shit up already?

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/14/world/spy-balloon-science-weather-uses-scn/index.html

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I'm afraid you are the one making things up. The article doesn't say anything about balloons following air currents, quite the opposite:

That’s because balloons still offer unique advantages: They don’t disturb their surrounding environment, they’re very gentle on scientific instruments, they can hover in one place for extended periods of time

Normal weather balloons are far smaller and incapable of crossing an ocean. The Chinese balloon was not a normal weather balloon.

[–] zephyreks 0 points 2 years ago

I'm not sure what you think your point is. There are a lot of types of weather-monitoring balloon systems and China has been dumping a ton of money into improving their forecasting ever since they got slammed by a bunch of flooding.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

This is going to blow your mind, but there are different kinds of balloons for different purposes. Also, the word can has a different meaning from the world must. Perhaps work on your reading comprehension?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Sure, it's possible that China deployed a completely novel type of weather balloon. But if so, it should not be surprised by the interception of its unusual balloon when it entered US airspace.

For that matter, if you designed a brand new weather instrument that was carried in the back of a Cessna, and then you flew that Cessna into Chinese airspace to carry out your measurements, then you should expect to be intercepted and probably arrested. After all, Mathias Rust was sentenced to four years for violating Soviet airspace.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's not a completely novel type of balloon, these types of balloons have been used literally for decades. I love how you keep lying about something that's very easy to verify. At this point you're just exposing yourself as a clown.

https://www.mlive.com/weather/2023/02/balloon-tracking-101-how-weather-balloons-can-travel-in-our-jet-stream.html

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You should read the articles before you link to them. This one describes normal weather balloons, which are far smaller than the Chinese balloons and can only travel about 100 miles.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I have, the article pretty clearly explains how weather balloons can get caught in air currents. 🤡

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

And does it explain how air currents can add two thousand pounds of equipment to a balloon?

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

What does that have to do with anything. Just to repeat this, the context of the whole discussion is that US *admitted that there is no spy equipment on the balloon. The fact that you keep keep digging here is absolutely hilarious. You made an absurd statement that is disproved by 2 seconds of googling. Then you got called out on it, and instead of admitting that you stated nonsense you just keep doubling down. It's absolutely incredible to watch.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

US *admitted that there is no spy equipment on the balloon.

Once again, you are making things up.

The US said the spy balloon was certainly capable of spying, but it did not collect information over the US, in part because of the American response.

"We're aware that it had intelligence collection capabilities, but it was our -- and it has been our -- assessment now that it did not collect while it was transiting the United States," Ryder said during a briefing, adding, "As we said at the time, we also took steps to mitigate the potential collection efforts."

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

No digging required, it's all on the surface.

Even the headline to the original article said the balloon did not collect information. It never said the balloon did not carry surveillance equipment, you incorrectly assumed that.