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It's literally a mylar weather balloon. Pilots get confused about how fast they're going, so any object that is adrift in the standing air currents looks to be zipping around doing weird shit. The elongated shape of the balloons makes them look odd at higher altitudes and they're constantly fiddling with the designs. They are usually white or reflective. It's not like they care what happens to the balloon or can control it or track it after they get the data.