In a press release today, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) announced that it is going to use its massive radar facilities to track the progress of President Elect Barack H. Obama as he passes through the heavens on his way to the inauguration on January 20. Obama is expected to leave his home on Mount Olympus at about 6:30 pm EST. He will be riding in a Greco-Roman styled chariot, drawn by the eight famous reindeer owned by Santa Claus, who was a generous contributor to the Obama campaign.
Obama's trip from Mount Olympus to the nation's capitol will take him through Kenya, where he will take a short break to visit with family, including his half-brother who lives in a mud hut. He will then fly to Hawaii, play a round of golf, and then cross the North American continent and end his journey at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
NORAD will set up a special website for the occasion, www.noradobama.org.
NORAD spokesman Colonel Harry Shoup gave the following explanation:
"Detecting Obama all starts with the NORAD radar system called the Early Missile Warning System. This powerful radar system has 147 installations strung across North America and Europe. NORAD will make a point of checking the radar closely for indications of the President Elect leaving Mount Olympus on January 19th. The moment our radar tells us that he has lifted off, we use our second mode of detection, the same satellites that we use in providing warning of possible missile launches aimed at North America. These satellites are located in a geo-synchronous orbit at 22,300 miles above the Earth. The satellites have infrared sensors, meaning they can detect heat. When a rocket or missile is launched, a tremendous amount of heat is produced - enough for the satellites to detect. Obama's heart gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch. The satellites can detect this with practically no problem.
The third detection system we use is the Obama Cam. We began using it in 1998 as the Santa Cam. NORAD Obama Cams are high-tech, high-speed digital cameras that are pre-positioned at many places around the world. Usually, NORAD only uses these cameras once a year - Christmas Eve. The cameras capture images of Santa and the Reindeer as they make their journey around the world. In this case the cameras will be capturing images of Obama as he progresses toward Washington, D.C. We immediately download the images on to our web site for people around the world to see. Obama Cams produce both video and still images."
