A group of Illinois balloon hobbyists is now in the spotlight because of the possibility that the U.S. military shot down one of their balloons.
The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade sends up what are known as “pico balloons,” small Mylar-style balloons equipped with transmitters so other enthusiasts can track their locations.
One of the group’s balloons was last detected off the coast of Alaska, just hours before military jets shot down an unknown floating object over the Yukon.
The balloon has not transmitted since, but the group says long gaps in transmission aren’t necessarily unusual, and says that, for now, there’s no way to confirm if its balloon was actually shot down.
