Posted on 02/23/2023 11:50:42 AM PST by VanShuyten
“Looks like a weather balloon to me”
I’m no expert on balloons at all, but I’ve heard others who claim to be say that the solar panels on this balloon were much larger than necessary to power the stuff you’d typically find on a weather balloon.
The high power requirements have a lot to do with the two electric-drive propeller units.
I don’t think U-2s carry any kind of armament at all. So other than ramming it, I don’t see how.
Payload was over a ton.
Well, the U-2 cameras point down, not sideways. Plus they probably don’t have the right focal distance to photograph anything close up.
“… and he’s using his smart phone.”
Didn’t a Navy guy get five years for a selfie taken in a nuke sub engine room?
I wonder how many years this pilot will get for taking a picture inside a U2 cockpit.
Now let’s see the pictures of the science projects the Air Force shot down.
Yeah. I know. I just thought it was funny.
Solar panel size would be almost strictly related to power consumption in the dark. That’s what has to be discharged from the battery. Then come daytime the panels not only power the consumption, but also recharge the battery.
Consumption is going to be mostly computer and data transmitter power, which probably is pretty serious.
That list of equipment above is not trivial power consumption. My guess? The descent valve, or the valve radio receiver, failed. They could not get it down. And up so high it wasn’t going to bother anything. Odds were high it would fall into an ocean somewhere.
“A U-2 pilot flying high above the Chinese spy balloon took a close-up photo...”
High above or close up?
Amazing that Powers was shot down in 1960 and we’re still using the U-2 for reconnaissance.
What other information do pilots keep in their phones?...You know, in case one is ever downed.
Garrfy Powers in a U2 was shot down at 70,000ft during the Cold War in the mid 50's
See the Amazon Prime film about it all
Bridge of Spies (Plus Bonus Features)
In a dramatic thriller inspired by true events, Tom Hanks stars as James Donovan, a Brooklyn lawyer thrust into the center of the cold war.
This means there are other photos of the other objects. Release them!
if everything really was on the up-and-up?
Have you noticed that the stories about Biden's classified documents have disappeared?
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