London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Balloon satellite makes its way into BVI waters

Balloon satellite makes its way into BVI waters

A bizarre sighting of what appeared to be a balloon satellite, caught some residences by surprise after landing in the waters of the British Virgin Islands on Friday, January 29.

According to reports received by our news centre, the balloon satellite which is also referred to as a loon, descended in the vicinity of Guana Island before it was retrieved and brought to Nanny Cay.

Speaking to BVI News following the circulation of the many images which created a buzz across the territory, a local aviator who opted to remain anonymous, dispelled any rumours which suggested that the satellite device landed into the BVI from outer space.

He said: “I know it is not a satellite per se … What a typical satellite would do is they would be orbiting so high above the earth that if they were to fall; that is why we see what we call a shooting star. It burns up on the reentry into the earth’s atmosphere.”

“As you can see from the pictures that this item is not burnt or damaged by any sort of heat process, you can see that all the panels are all intact,” he added.

Could have been collecting weather data


While not 100 percent certain as to the origins of the device, the aviator said that based on his experience, it could possibly be a balloon satellite that was collecting various weather data across the Caribbean region.

“What that tells us is that where ever it was orbiting it was within the earth’s atmosphere and what I know about those things as an aviator, I know they launch some weather balloon from Puerto Rico and they fly about 60,000 feet, which is way above the height flown by normal passenger aircrafts such as JetBlue for example which fly about 35,000 feet,” he explained.

“These balloons I see them on my tracker, they leave from Puerto Rico and they come all the way up to the Virgin Islands, they go down the Caribbean and then they go back. There is apparently something up there collecting weather data and so I want to believe that this object is one of those that forever reason it crashed,” the aviator further said.

Speculation of device being a loon


In the meantime, further speculations from other residents suggested that the device is a loon balloon satellite instrument which is a network of stratospheric balloons designed to bring internet connectivity to rural and remote communities worldwide.

While BVI News has no evidence to either substantiate of refute the speculations, these types of balloons usually work by beaming internet connectivity from ground stations to an overhead balloon.

The signal which is generated is subsequently sent across multiple balloons, creating a network of floating cell towers that deliver connectivity directly to a user’s LTE-enabled device below.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×