Loon in Queensland


I spotted  a helium balloon using FlightRadar24 flying at 20,000 m and moving at between 1 and 12 knots in the stratosphere in South-East Queensland today. Here is its flight path, having just circled Brisbane.

Google Loon  May 19 2014 9_15pm Qld

The balloon appears to be one in the Google Loon project to give everyone on Earth cheap internet access.  It appears that the balloon navigates by adjusting its height and catching winds of different directions in the stratosphere. The balloon electronics are solar powered and this one is transmitting its identification (GOOGLE8), height, vertical velocity and heading just like most aircraft.