The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) once again confirmed it has a special mission on Dec. 24: to track Santa Claus’ Christmas journey, marking its 69th year of tracking Santa’s whereabouts as he and his reindeer travel around the world.
The command – part of the Department of Defense (DoD) – typically tracks airplanes, missiles, and space launches, using its satellites equipped with infrared sensors. On Christmas Eve, NORAD said it can track Santa’s sleigh by detecting Rudolph’s bright red nose, which gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch.
“On December 24, NORAD will track the journey of a very special Aviator Santa as he makes his way around the globe,” Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the DoD’s press secretary, told reporters during a Dec. 19 press conference.
“And if you see red and green lights in the sky, that’s probably him. Please note that this is an authorized object in the sky and not an unmanned aerial vehicle. So please check twice,” Ryder added. “We kindly ask that those observing Santa’s sleigh refrain from reporting him to the FAA or FBI starting at 06:00 Eastern Standard Time.”
Kids can track Santa on Christmas Eve through the NORAD Tracks Santa website, the official NORAD Tracks Santa app, or by dialing the toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723). The NORAD Tracks Santa website also features games, a movie theater, holiday music, and more.
The Santa tracking effort is made possible entirely by volunteers. More than 1,250 Canadian and American uniformed personnel and DoD civilians volunteer their time to answer the thousands of phone calls that come in from around the world.
The effort is also made possible by industry partners, such as Verizon. This year marks the 22nd year that Verizon has partnered with NORAD to provide the toll-free hotline.
“We’re honored to continue this holiday tradition with NORAD, a partnership that has brought joy and wonder to families for more than two decades,” said Maggie Hallbach, senior vice president of Public Sector at Verizon Business. “By combining innovative technology with holiday spirit, we help bring Santa’s journey to life for children everywhere.”
To bolster NORAD’s operations, Verizon provides equipment including Cradlepoint routers, Wi-Fi jetpacks, and a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) solution, alongside Verizon Frontline mobile assets for onsite support.
Verizon also maintains the Interactive Voice Response System (IVR): an automated call management system that provides extra support to answer children’s questions if call center volunteers are busy with other callers.
As always, the NORAD website reminds trackers that Santa only visits the houses of children who are sleeping. If children are still awake when Santa arrives, he will move on to other houses and return once they are asleep.
