Tracking Santa with Col. Justin Elliott of NORAD

Just after 2 a.m. Pacific, officials at NORAD were alerted to Santa’s departure from the North Pole.

NORAD said they began tracking Santa when Rudolph’s nose appeared on thermal imaging on satellites as he began his journey down the east coast of Russia.

Coronel Justin Elliott with NORAD says the heat from Rudolph’s glowing red nose is impressive. “It burns so hot, and that all makes sense, it has to dissipate fog, very similar to a missile motor which is what we’re used to tracking.”

NORAD uses satellites, ground-based radar, and aircraft to track Santa’s path across the globe.

In the Pacific Northwest, the 142nd Wing based at Portland International Airport patrols the skies from the U.S.-Canada border down to northern California. They are on ready alert should Santa need them.

“Our headquarters is completely reliant on local units like (the 142nd) to execute the mission for us. We are a bi-national headquarters. We have nine services between Canada and the United States, from the Navy to the Space Force, to the Army, all in one place to do this mission. We can’t do it unless units like (the 142nd) in Portland meet that scramble call. I want to publicly say thanks to those units and the pilots and maintainers who make that mission happen. It is a big ask, and they are on duty literally 24 hours a day, somebody has to be on shift to take that call from our headquarters and make that intercept. We are very proud of them and very proud a part of that unit,” Col. Elliott said.

NORAD officials say Santa travels in a zig-zag pattern as he navigates around the world on Christmas Eve.

“My message to all the kids out there, be in bed by 9 o’clock. He’s gonna check, if you’re not in bed by then, you might get missed,” Col. Elliott stated.

https://katu.com/news/local/norad-tracking-santas-path-across-the-globe-142nd-wing-in-portland-stands-ready-to-help

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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: December 25, 2024, 3:01 am.

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