2023-04-16 00:54:12
Washingtonpost reported that the spy balloon which overflew the continental U.S. in February had sophisticated reconnaissance capabilities, possibly including "synthetic aperture radar," which can see at night and penetrate clouds, topsoil, and thin materials.
Synthetic aperture radar, or SAR, sends pulses of microwaves at the Earth to create images. Unlike traditional optical sensors, this allows SAR to return images at night and to penetrate clouds, smoke, topsoil, ice and snow. SAR has also been shown to penetrate thin materials, including tarps, revealing objects beneath.
The amount of power the Chinese balloon could generate was “humongous,” said Paul Byrne, an associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis and a specialist in remote sensing. It was about 100 times that generated by balloons such as Google’s Loon, which provides internet service, and nearly twice that generated by some orbital SAR satellites.
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