Should we be concerned about the loss of #weatherballoons?
Due to staff reductions, retirements, and a federal hiring freeze, the National Weather Service has announced a series of suspensions involving #weather balloon launches in recent weeks.
Most of the time, not a big deal. But in critical times, the losses will be felt. #Satellites cannot yet replace weather balloons. They merely act to improve upon what weather balloons do.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/03/should-we-be-concerned-about-the-loss-of-weather-balloons/
Should we be concerned about the loss of weather balloons?

Most of the time, not a big deal. But in critical times, the losses will be felt.

Ars Technica
Believe it or not, a popular craft when I was a teen, was writing to the government for free weather balloons, and then constructing giant papier mache Christmas balls over them. 1971. #weatherballoons #USAgovernment #christmas #papiermache #christmasballs #christmasornaments
Playing with a new gadget today. I'm gonna try and chase some #weatherballoons and snag a #radiosonde or two. #sondehub
Almost 2000 balloons are launched each day to collect weather data. Other balloon flights are for atmospheric research and astronomy. Sending a science instrument on a balloon mission can be a step toward qualifying it for spaceflight.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00482-7
#weatherballoons #UFOs #UAPs #scientificballooning
High-altitude balloons: a scientists' guide to what’s up there and why

The US shot down four flying objects over fears of spy balloons. But what else are high altitude balloons used for?

@dalfen Balloons do nothing but hover or float. Balloons pick a wind current by adjusting launch location and time. Then they just ride it. Winds are 50-100 kph up there. At 40 km high that means a #balloon is overhead for 25-50 min (40km/100kph).

Satellite is 250km high, zips by at 30,000 kph. So it's overhead for less than 0.5 min (250km/30000kph * 60min)

Check out Wikipedia on #WeatherBalloons and Low_Earth_orbit (LEO) scale diagram. Or ask #amateur #OSINT person.