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blongjohn t1_j9gm58a wrote

Why are you making tools for China?

−44

import_torch-nn OP t1_j9gmx6s wrote

Replying to blongjohn (#1,905,787)

to be fair, there is no way my code is precise or accurate enough for it to be anything other than a fun playing along website

I reckon CIA/US military/any other nation's military must have their own supercomputer running actual applicable simulations with high level data

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xoomax t1_j9gngup wrote

This is very cool. I've launched two from China not too far apart and they took very different paths. I guess this is the jet stream.

Coincidentally, I'm listening to BBC World Service and there is a story on Spy Balloons as I played around!

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import_torch-nn OP t1_j9grvjc wrote

Hi all! Thanks for all of your support, it really blew up!

The website is lagging right now and I am working on upgrading the serversThank you for your patience

Edit: the 2nd server is almost ready now! I will need to install the SSL cert which may cause the site to slightly break for a minute

Edit 2: both servers are fully up and running now! thanks for y'all's patience and support!

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Dbjfdb t1_j9gso5k wrote

I’m in IT, and I see things like this and really love the ingenuity and cleverness that goes into it.

I can’t go there yet so I’ll ask here.

Do you have a way to allow someone to mark a balloons position, altitude, and date/time and have it display an (ever-widening) range of locations where it may have been launched from?

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BobSchwaget t1_j9gsyfd wrote

Replying to import_torch-nn (#1,906,238)

It would be cool to add a function to control the balloon's altitude. That would manage the chaos enough you could then add goals like trying to pass over as many target cities as possible in a single go around the earth.

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weinsteinjin t1_j9gwbxc wrote

Now that you know that atmospheric conditions are chaotic, and that balloons have next to no steering capabilities, are you still convinced that China launched them so they can fly across the Pacific, through Canada, just so they fly visibly over precise sensitive locations in the US? Nobody is wasting money making spy balloons when satellites would’ve sufficed. It shouldn’t be hard to spot the military’s fear mongering.

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motleystuff t1_j9gx70o wrote

Are you able to use it in reverse using historical data?

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Jupaack t1_j9gxhjw wrote

One managed to do a full trip around the world in 15 days. the second one disappeared after just 5 miles, got shot by my neighbors.

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ohioMX5 t1_j9h69h9 wrote

Bad news. My fighter jet simulator is going to shoot your pinko commie spy balloons down!

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BenioffThrowAway t1_j9hbln1 wrote

If this can work with estimates, let's see what we can do with actuals for historic usage

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lemonpjb t1_j9hjs8g wrote

Replying to weinsteinjin (#1,906,964)

I work in telemetry and build radiosondes for a living; the idea that a state like China would use balloon technology for the purposes of clandestine spying is laughably absurd. There are so many technologies better-suited for this purpose.

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Sirderp241 t1_j9hkr5y wrote

Prepare to be contacted by the govt.

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Jjex22 t1_j9hl99u wrote

Well it’s been on reddit 5 hours, so it’s safe to say every intelligence agency has had a quick peak at it lol

0

dos_user t1_j9hp2lm wrote

Lauch one near Guam and you can see how the balloon might have drifted off the expected course.

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iggygrey t1_j9hu0fq wrote

You're the hero we didn't want but showed up anyway.

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Prefeitura t1_j9hvsn9 wrote

Replying to import_torch-nn (#1,908,701)

don't mind the comparison, the govt simulator is dogshit. yours is better by so, so much. Do you mind crafting the trajectory of a ballon being released from east palestine, with information since february 3? this way we could know where that smoke went...

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import_torch-nn OP t1_j9hzaql wrote

update: I have now added a disclaimer that this site is aimed at for fun usage only, in case we would scream at each other over the topic of fidelity and application

thank y'all for your support

and yes, US military have their own simulation system of course they won't need to use one made by a random student

1

ohyeaoksure t1_j9i00il wrote

Cool, I made a spy balloon! We should get them together for a play date.

3

CyberNinja23 t1_j9i2ou0 wrote

China: See it really is a weather balloon. And might I add that your lawn is looking really great this year, the flower bed your wife is adding right now really gives the property some pop, but the gardener has been hanging around too much….Hello?

−1

Noob_DM t1_j9i58a8 wrote

Replying to weinsteinjin (#1,906,964)

> Now that you know that atmospheric conditions are chaotic

They’re not at high altitude. They’re actually pretty stable.

> and that balloons have next to no steering capabilities

That’s not at all true…

> are you still convinced that China launched them so they can fly across the Pacific, through Canada, just so they fly visibly over precise sensitive locations in the US?

It’s been done many, many times before… the Japanese were doing it all the way back in WWII…

> Nobody is wasting money making spy balloons when satellites would’ve sufficed.

They don’t, actually. For camera or radio imaging, sure, but for signal scooping, you need to be in atmosphere due to the way radio waves reflect off the ionosphere. That’s why the US is flying radio signal intelligence aircraft in the Black Sea instead of just using satellites to intercept Russian radio communications and gather intelligence.

> It shouldn’t be hard to spot the military’s fear mongering.

Try being a little more educated before making wild assertions.

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czyzczyz t1_j9ifw5q wrote

Replying to Noob_DM (#1,912,430)

It is worth noting that it is possible for stratospheric balloons to navigate with purpose within the chaos of different wind currents by controlling their altitude in order to choose which current to ride at a given moment. This is a thing that has been done. How difficult it is I leave to the nation states that might want to sense something they can’t detect from satellite altitudes (like magnetic fluctuations?) —or to the ham radio enthusiasts whose $100 Arduino balloons attract the ire of very expensive jet-fired munitions.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210222-how-googles-hot-air-balloon-surprised-its-creators

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DreadPirateGriswold t1_j9ijxix wrote

Can it be used with Microsoft Flight Simulator to simulate an F-22 with a sidewinder missile?

Asking for a friend...

2

NeroFMX t1_j9inf73 wrote

Military: "This is classified information, where did you get ahold of this??"

Me: "I believe his name was DeepFriedPancake"

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GeorgieWashington t1_j9iq3ww wrote

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think what you actually built was a “where will GeorgieWashington’s weather balloons -that they drunkenly purchased one time- end up now that they have a reason to launch it” simulator.

2

TikkiTakiTomtom t1_j9iv7n3 wrote

So based on this simulation, how accurate is it and would it be reasonably possible for a weather balloon to have floated its way all over the world?

I very much dislike news sensationalism and political propaganda so this gives a bit more insight on claims.

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KingOfAsshollery t1_j9jceva wrote

Plot twist. I spawned it from UK. Still it went over US 😂.

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ray_giraffe t1_j9jg45b wrote

So cool!! What altitude is it flying at?

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xixi2 t1_j9jkbcr wrote

Bro I am happy if I can make a website with a button that counts up...

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wetgerman t1_j9jqgrh wrote

almost want a reverse of this. like drop the pin for destination and starting point and give suggestions for the closest possible starting point.

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turbineslut t1_j9k8x9m wrote

Replying to import_torch-nn (#1,918,268)

Well back when I participated they were actually just a bunch of volunteers/hobbyists doing it in their free time. Not sure if a part of it has been professionalized by now. But yea, it's all very slick.

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appleflaxen t1_j9l7ot0 wrote

Can you run it in reverse using historical data to estimate where balloons came from?

2