A weather balloon will fly at an altitude above what an aircraft will fly, below any stable orbit, and move so slowly that it is not likely to raise any alarms.

Source: https://news.slashdot.org/story/23/02/10/1934209/pentagon-shoots-down-an-unidentified-object-over-alaska?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Fast forward three decades and last week Luke Iseman, the cofounder and CEO of fly-by-night start-up Make Sunsets, revealed that he pumped a few grams of sulfur dioxide into a weather balloon at a secret launch site in Mexico’s Baja California.

Source: https://www.citizen.co.za/news/opinion/iseman-scam-damages-work-scientists-global-warming/

Let’s take a look at a common weather balloon as compared to the balloon that is making waves in the news and meteorology community.

Source: https://www.wbbjtv.com/2023/02/04/spy-balloons-and-the-weekend-forecast/

Tensions between the US and China inflated after Washington shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that Beijing maintains was an unmanned weather balloon.

Source: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/02/21/reps-meeting-taiwans-tsai-say-us-seeks-peace-in-region/

‘The object was reported to be red and silver in colour and was either a drone or a weather balloon.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12472923/RAF-jet-used-royals-including-Kate-William-came-30-feet-smashing-illegally-flown-drone-260mph.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

We have a weather balloon from China going across the country.

Source: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/03/01/mom-two-fentanyl-victims-congress-youre-welcoming-drug-dealers-across-border/

While Chinese officials admitted that the balloon was theirs, they said it was a runaway weather balloon.

Source: https://themoderatevoice.com/f-22-raptor-shoots-down-chinese-balloon-with-a-single-aim-9x-missile/