We have a likely ID for 1 of the mystery balloons shot-down.
Feb 19, 2023 23:49:38 GMT
zeb likes this
Post by bfhammer on Feb 19, 2023 23:49:38 GMT
It was a 32-inch American amateur radio project. The balloon had already circumnavigated the world 6 times after being launched from Illinois.
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jS7sVwtuxSNB8BrBZgo4DW-1920-80.jpeg)
www.space.com/mystery-object-shot-down-yukon-amateur-ballloon
The amateur radio community continues to be abuzz about three recent shootdowns of unidentified flying objects in North American airspace: one over Alaska, one over the Yukon in northwestern Canada and another above Lake Huron.
It turns out that the object blasted out of the sky over the Yukon on Feb. 11 by a U.S. Air Force jet might have been an amateur radio "pico balloon" — specifically, one called K9YO-15, which launched from Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville, Illinois, north of Chicago.
K9YO-15 was apparently on its seventh circumnavigation of the globe after being aloft for 123 days.
According to Cary Willis of the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB), there are roughly three million amateur radio operators around the globe. The NIBBB is a subset of this group, a small cadre of pico balloon enthusiasts.
"Our balloons are very small, 32-inch [81 centimeters] diameter, 100-inch [254 cm] circumference, pre-stretched and carry a payload of around 10 grams [0.35 ounces] including the tracker, solar panel and 33-foot [10 meters] antenna wire," Willis told Inside Outer Space.
The K9YO-15 balloon made use of a silver mylar 32-inch sphere, which is available for the low price of $13.33.
"Our pico balloon K9YO had been flying for 123 days preparing for the seventh time around the world when it went missing over Canada," Willis said. "That wasn't the first time K9YO went missing. After the fifth time around the world in 77 days, K9YO went missing for 30 days, reported on the 106th day over Mongolia and continued the sixth circumnavigation at 112 days."
"I believe our communications with the FBI will help them identify our project as science in nature."
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jS7sVwtuxSNB8BrBZgo4DW-1920-80.jpeg)
www.space.com/mystery-object-shot-down-yukon-amateur-ballloon
The amateur radio community continues to be abuzz about three recent shootdowns of unidentified flying objects in North American airspace: one over Alaska, one over the Yukon in northwestern Canada and another above Lake Huron.
It turns out that the object blasted out of the sky over the Yukon on Feb. 11 by a U.S. Air Force jet might have been an amateur radio "pico balloon" — specifically, one called K9YO-15, which launched from Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville, Illinois, north of Chicago.
K9YO-15 was apparently on its seventh circumnavigation of the globe after being aloft for 123 days.
According to Cary Willis of the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB), there are roughly three million amateur radio operators around the globe. The NIBBB is a subset of this group, a small cadre of pico balloon enthusiasts.
"Our balloons are very small, 32-inch [81 centimeters] diameter, 100-inch [254 cm] circumference, pre-stretched and carry a payload of around 10 grams [0.35 ounces] including the tracker, solar panel and 33-foot [10 meters] antenna wire," Willis told Inside Outer Space.
The K9YO-15 balloon made use of a silver mylar 32-inch sphere, which is available for the low price of $13.33.
"Our pico balloon K9YO had been flying for 123 days preparing for the seventh time around the world when it went missing over Canada," Willis said. "That wasn't the first time K9YO went missing. After the fifth time around the world in 77 days, K9YO went missing for 30 days, reported on the 106th day over Mongolia and continued the sixth circumnavigation at 112 days."
"I believe our communications with the FBI will help them identify our project as science in nature."
I am willing to bet the one shot down over Lake Huron may have had a "Be My Valentine" message on it.
![](https://watchmandan.com/wfwf/whistle.gif)
![](https://watchmandan.com/wfwf/5S.png)