In a normal situation, these devices do not represent a major problem. They are usually made of ultra-fine plastic, their interiors are filled with helium, until they acquire the shape of an inverted teardrop whose length wanders for 90 meters. They are almost always complemented by baskets that carry all kinds of tools related to various scientific studies. They are, in other words, key to the investigation.
But not all is perfect. The nature of these objects, virtually imperceptible to the human eye and especially to radar, has also led to their use for espionage. It is precisely for this reason that the US authorities have been so nervous to discover that the balloons in question were of Chinese origin. The Asian giant, for its part, argued that the Americans have done the same on numerous occasions, which was flatly denied.
Balloons or aliens?
As Mexico and other Latin American countries look to the skies for spy balloons, the United States has clamped down on recalibrating its most sensitive radar. This in order to detect smaller objects that fly over higher and that move at different speeds to those of airplanes. Or what is the same, to find out if there are more Chinese or other stratospheric balloons in its airspace.
A good part of these operations have been treated from the most absolute secrecy, since the findings could trigger severe diplomatic crises with a world-class power. This has sparked signs of mass hysteria with many people drawing their own conclusions about what happened. One of the most popular options: aliens.
Have you noticed that in recent days it is common to hear about shooting down UFOs or FANIs as they have recently been called by the US authorities? Some of the videos recorded by the public as evidence show plastic covers releasing gases in the fall. Spoiler alert: they are not the aliens seen in Nope!, but stratospheric balloons. But beyond any espionage, there are those who believe that the recent rise of these flying objects does not point to the sky, but to the ground.
Did someone say conspiracy theories?
Spies and aliens. A winning formula for lovers of conspiracy theories. Even more so when his activity coincides with one of the worst accidents in the history of the United States: the derailment of a train carrying a highly toxic chemical.
The incident occurred in East Palestine, near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border., last Friday, February 3. The material in question is vinyl chloride, a compound used to manufacture plastics such as cable coverings or packaging materials, and which, in addition to being flammable, can cause serious damage to health, such as skin lesions, circulation problems , alterations in the immune system and affectations to the liver. As if this were not enough, its contact with water and earth can result in other dangerous substances. The situation is so serious that some world media have labeled what happened as the Chernobyl of the 21st century.
Are the stratospheric balloons a cover or an unfortunate coincidence? Perhaps we will never know. But now that our doubts about these teams have been resolved, and their confusion with Unidentified Atmospheric Phenomena has been clarified, it is time to leave behind the conspiracies to turn to an incident that deserves our full attention.