(MOUNTAIN VIEW) A giant Google research
balloon caused quite a shock for some Southern California neighbors when it fell out of the sky onto a quiet street in Chino Hills.
The fifty foot balloon crash-landed in a palm tree.
Janet Olaffson didn’t realize it had fallen in her front yard until she got a knock on the door from the local sheriff’s deputies.
“We ran out, and the police said don’t go near it,” she said. “At that time they had got a call from thecompany that said its a weather balloon,” said Olaffson.
Curious neighbors came to see it by the droves — driving by, snapping photos. Rumors began to circulate. Some speculated it was a weather balloon traveling from Las Vegas to Japan.
In fact, the orb that fell from the sky belongs to Project Loon. It’s part of a research anddevelopment idea to deliver 3-G Internet access. Mountain View-based Google launched the project in partnership with the government of Sri Lanka.
The goal is for these high altitude balloons — called Loon Balloons — to someday transmit signals to people all over the world, so people can “Google” from anywhere, including Chino hills.
But according to Google, the Loon Balloon was supposed to land nearby — not at Olaffson’s house.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.