Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

How The Military Tracks Santa

Every December, millions of families around the world track Santa’s Yuletide journey through the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Santa Tracker, a holiday tradition that has grown from humble origins into a massive volunteer operation. NORAD’s powerful North Warning System features 47 radar installations strategically positioned across Alaska and northern Canada, and as soon as that radar system picks up Santa departing from the North Pole, the command begins tracking him via globally integrated satellites using their infrared sensors that normally detect heat signatures from launched rockets or missiles. The satellites track Santa’s position throughout his global journey by detecting Rudolph’s bright red nose, which gives off an infrared signature remarkably similar to that of a missile, allowing NORAD to monitor every moment of his Christmas Eve flight. Fighter pilots flying U.S. Air Force F-15, F-16, F-22 aircraft and Canadian Air Force CF-18 jets rendezvous with Santa off the coast of Newfoundland each Christmas Eve to welcome him to North America and escort him safely through North American airspace until he completes his deliveries and returns home to the North Pole.

The tracking operation requires tremendous coordination with about 70 contributors helping set up the NORADSanta.org website, mobile apps, and phone lines starting each November when inquiries from eager families begin flooding in. More than 500 uniformed personnel, Defense Department civilians, their families and supporters volunteer their precious time on Christmas Eve to answer children’s questions about Santa’s whereabouts, with virtual call center capabilities picking up any slack when needed. Kids can follow Santa by calling the traditional phone line at 1-877-Hi-NORAD, visiting the countdown clock and games on NORADSanta.org, using the mobile app, asking Amazon Alexa, checking with vehicle navigation service OnStar, or following along on social media platforms where millions engage with real-time updates. In 2020, the operation reached unprecedented scale with more than 11 million website visitors from over 200 countries and territories, volunteers answering more than 20,000 phone calls, and the @noradsanta Facebook page gaining 1.89 million followers who eagerly await updates on Santa’s progress each year.

PrevPreviousThis Is How NORAD Santa Tracker Started
NextThe 112 Year Old Christmas Tradition That Just Went Nationwide OnlineNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

Team USA Brings Big Wins And Snoop Dogg to Light The Torch

February 9, 2026

Team USA is crushing it at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Italy and they brought along the coolest torch carrier you could possibly imagine: Snoop Dogg, who lit up the games both literally and figuratively before competition even started. The legendary rapper who became an unexpected Olympic icon was

Read More
Happy News

Scientists Are Bringing Dead Coral Reefs Back To Life

February 9, 2026

Coral reefs have experienced severe decline in recent years with global assessments showing a 14 percent decrease between 2009 and 2018, but groundbreaking restoration efforts using a technique called coral outplanting are bringing these vital underwater ecosystems back to life in remarkable ways. These magnificent structures not only support more

Read More
Happy News

Nature Just Dropped a New Ladybug and It’s a Banger

February 9, 2026

Nature just dropped a new ladybug species and scientists are absolutely buzzing about it because this tiny beetle was hiding in plain sight the entire time on a university campus in Japan. The mini insect named the pine dweller ladybug is just over one millimeter long which is smaller than

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2026 HappyNews.