Did a Weather Balloon, Not a Mysterious Space Object, Strike That United Airlines Flight?

A plane at 36,000 feet was struck by an unknown object, initially prompting speculation about space debris. WindBorne Systems, a weather data startup, believes one of their atmospheric balloons may be responsible. The company has contacted the NTSB and FAA to investigate the incident. WindBorne typically launches weather balloons for AI-based weather forecasting. They claim to have launched over 4,000 balloons, coordinating each launch and filing aviation alerts. Their balloons are designed to be safe in case of a mid-air collision, weighing only 2.4 pounds at launch. WindBorne is collaborating with the FAA on the investigation of the incident. The company has implemented changes to reduce balloon flight time between 30,000 and 40,000 feet. WindBorne is also accelerating plans to use live flight data for autonomous plane avoidance and developing new hardware to reduce impact force.