An Illinois hobby group seems to have lost one of its hobbies recently:
The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade, a hobbyist group that launches hydrogen-filled, radio-equipped pico balloons and tracks them as they fly across the world, has declared one of its balloons “missing in action.”
The balloon stopped transmitting signals when it had been set to fly near the area in Canada where a military fighter jet shot down an unidentified object last week.
If the time-and-date fit is more than a coincidence, the balloon never stood a chance: The hobbyists use large, plastic party balloons that cost as little as $13 for their scientific fun; the military reportedly took the UFO out with heat-seeking missiles.
The balloon, identified by the hobbyist club as K9YO, had already circumnavigated the globe six times.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command did not immediately respond to calls and emails requesting asking about the downed object.
Poor little balloon. But hey, it's good to know that a $3m missile can take out a $13 balloon.