The Denver7 phones, e-mail inbox and social media feed is abuzz Friday morning with talk of the mysterious white balloon floating over Northern Colorado.
"We live in Keenesburg, CO. We noticed there is a possible weather ballon north by northwest of where we live. We are just eat of the Maverick and 7‐11 gas station," Chris wrote into Denver7 Friday morning. "When we looked through our binocular, it's clearly a weather ballon or something that is gathering information. Similar to the ballon that was found floating around California a few years ago."
It is in fact a weather balloon, Chris. It's a Stratollite high-altitude balloon from the company World View Enterprises, the company's vice president of communications — Phil Wocken — confirmed to Denver7.
Watch the balloon flying over Northern Colorado Friday morning that AirTracker7 captured, in the video player below.
It was launched from northern Arizona last Saturday, carrying a payload for NASA that is measuring solar radiation in the stratosphere above the 40th parallel, Wocken said.
Launch morning views in Page, Arizona 🌅#worldview #remotesensing #lakepowell #pageaz #stratosphericballoon #highaltitudeballoon pic.twitter.com/PLyqyEgZYQ
— World View (@WorldViewSpace) September 5, 2024
The altitude and direction of the balloon can be controlled and steered, according to Wocken, and the company will safely land the balloon when its mission is complete.
This is not the first time a balloon like this has been spotted in the U.S., adding to the high interest.
In February of this year, a small balloon spotted flying high over the mountainous Western United States was intercepted by fighter jets over Utah.
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Small, nonthreatening balloon intercepted over Utah by NORAD
In February of last year, three objects were shot down after U.S. leaders discovered a large balloon drifting over the nation two weeks prior that they believed was being used by China to conduct military surveillance.
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Biden: 3 balloons shot down ‘most likely’ not used for spying
In 2017, an Arizona space tourism business apologized after one of its giant helium balloons exploded on a launch pad, the ABC affiliate in Tuscon reported. The explosion smashed windows in surrounding neighborhoods, frightening residents.
