Did USAF Shoot Down a Hobbyist Club Balloon?

The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade says it cannot confirm fate of ‘missing’ balloon.

Jonathan Welsh

Friday, February 17, 2023 at 05:24 PM ET

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Bill Brown with Skytracker device attached to a mylar balloon, ready for launch. [Courtesy: Bill Brown]

Key Takeaways:

Speculation has arisen that some of the recently downed unidentified aerial objects could be amateur scientific "pico balloons," with particular attention on a missing balloon (K9YO) from the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB).
NIBBB acknowledges their balloon K9YO is "Missing In Action" since February 11 but states there's no factual basis yet to confirm it was one of the downed objects, as contact loss is common and identification requires recovery.
The hobby of pico ballooning, a legal activity combining amateur radio and scientific tracking often used in STEM education, faces potential new regulations from the Biden administration, raising concerns among enthusiasts about accessibility.

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Attention surrounding the downing of four airborne objects by the U.S. military this month has turned from an alleged Chinese spy balloon to smaller scientific balloons launched by hobbyists, students and enthusiasts.

One such object, a so-called pico balloon transmitting a call sign of K9YO and belonging to the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB), might be among the craft recently destroyed by Air Force fighters. The balloon club reported on its blog that it has not heard from the balloon since February 11, when it was drifting near Alaska.