Rest assured, kids of all ages: SantaB次元官网网址檚 coming this Christmas Eve, and a second holiday with COVID-19 wonB次元官网网址檛 stop him.
ThatB次元官网网址檚 the word from the joint U.S.-Canadian military operation that for 66 years has been tracking Jolly Old St. Nicholas on his global mission and has assured us all B次元官网网址� first by land line and more recently by iPhone, Android, OnStar, Facebook, YouTube and more B次元官网网址� that heB次元官网网址檚 on his way with a sleigh stuffed with toys and a welcome dose of joy.
In whatB次元官网网址檚 become its own wildly popular tradition, the Colorado-based North American Aerospace Defense Command provides real-time updates on SantaB次元官网网址檚 progress Dec. 24, from 4 a.m. to midnight MST. NORADB次元官网网址檚 Santa Tracker lets families watch Father Christmas in 3D as he transits the South Pacific, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.
From deep inside NORAD headquarters, dozens of volunteers field an unrelenting wave of phone calls to 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723). They and other volunteers working off-site because of coronavirus distancing protocols will answer such questions as B次元官网网址淲hen will he come to my house? What kind of cookies does he like?B次元官网网址� said program manager and NORAD spokesman Preston Schlachter.
Want to watch? Visit , check out #NORADTracksSanta and on Twitter, or use the associated apps. You can also email noradtrackssanta@outlook.com for the latest.
Even before FridayB次元官网网址檚 takeoff, the NORAD webpage had been visited more than 3 million times, Schlachter said.
B次元官网网址淓very household, every country is having to deal with the impact of this pandemic. Santa Claus is an icon, and he is a source of joy for a lot of people,B次元官网网址� Schlachter said.
For those worried about SantaB次元官网网址檚 safety B次元官网网址� or their own B次元官网网址� the bearded man likely will be wearing a mask at each stop, and of course heB次元官网网址檚 wearing gloves, Schlachter noted. For the technically inclined, NORADB次元官网网址檚 website offers more data on the voyage (Weight of gifts at takeoff: 60,000 tons, or 54,600 metric tons; sleigh propulsion: nine RP, or reindeer power).
Like any good Christmas tale, the programB次元官网网址檚 origin has been told for generations.
In 1955, Air Force Col. Harry Shoup B次元官网网址� the on-duty commander one night at NORADB次元官网网址檚 predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command B次元官网网址� answered a call from a child who dialed a number that was misprinted in an ad in a newspaper, thinking she was calling Santa.
Shoup B次元官网网址渁nswered the call, thought it was a prank at first, but then realized what had happened and assured the child that he was Santa, and thus started the tradition that we are celebrating now 66 years later,B次元官网网址� Schlachter said.
NORADB次元官网网址檚 mission is to watch the skies above North America for any potential threats. Come early Christmas Eve, the Santa operation begins when a cluster of radar stations in northern Canada and Alaska pick up an infrared signature emanating from RudolphB次元官网网址檚 nose. NORADB次元官网网址檚 array of geostationary satellites above the Earth monitor the journey.
ItB次元官网网址檚 all shown on large, B次元官网网址渦nclassifiedB次元官网网址� display screens in a festively decorated command post at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs. Masked volunteers sit at tables equipped with telephones, garland, miniature Christmas trees, plenty of caffeine-laden candy and coffee B次元官网网址� and hand sanitizer.
B次元官网网址淲e Have the Watch,B次元官网网址� is NORADB次元官网网址檚 military-mission motto.
And when it comes to Santa, NORAD adds:
B次元官网网址淪anta calls the shots. We just track him.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址擩ames Anderson, The Associated Press
