ZDV CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING BALLOON RELEASE ACTIVITY UP TO FL900 WITH LESS THAN ACCURATE LOCATION INFO.

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2 HIGH ALT RESEARCH BALLOONS WERE LAUNCHED THIS MORNING WITHIN ABOUT 1/2 HR OF EACH OTHER. THEIR DEP WAS FROM AN AREA ABOUT 20-30 MI E OF THE DENVER METRO AREA. THEY ASCENDED RAPIDLY TO FL900 THEN DEPLOYED PARACHUTES AND FLOATED BACK DOWN. ZDV WAS GIVEN A PROJECTED FLT PROFILE THEN MONITORED ITS PROGRESS VIA ON-LINE UPDATES. THE SAFETY ISSUE ARISES FROM THE FACT THAT WE DON'T/CAN'T RECEIVE REAL TIME POS OR ALT RPTS. BALLOON ADVISORIES WERE ISSUED BASED ON PROJECTED FLT PATH AND IN FACT WERE AS MUCH AS 30 OR 40 MI OFF. THE MOST PRACTICAL SOLUTION WOULD BE TO REQUIRE A XPONDER ON THE BALLOON (WORKING AND IN USABLE CONDITION). THE SECOND SAFETY ISSUE IS ALLOWING RECURRING BALLOON RELEASES INTO HIGH VOLUME AIR TFC AREAS AT BUSY TIMES. SOLUTION WOULD BE TO ALLOW ONLY NIGHTTIME (LIT) LAUNCHES AVOIDING HIGH VOLUME TIMES. ANOTHER SOLUTION; MOVE ALL SUCH BALLOONS AT LEAST 100 MI FROM THE DENVER METRO AREA. (FEWER ACFT IN A LARGER AREA ODDS ARE LESS LIKELY TO CAUSE A SERIOUS PROB.) FINAL COMMENT: THE REASON I AM FILING THIS RPT IS BECAUSE WHEN WE FINALLY DID GET A POS AND ALT UPDATE WE HAD 3 ACR'S FLYOVER THE EXACT SPOT WE WERE TOLD THE BALLOON WAS AND CERTAINLY LESS THAN 10000 FT VERTICALLY SEPARATED FROM A FREE FALLING PARACHUTE/BALLOON.