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From High-School Prank to Global Tradition: How NORAD Became Santa's GPS

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Wednesday, December 24th 2025 at 10:52 GMT by NBC Chicago

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Santa’s High‑Altitude Mission: How NORAD Tracks the North Pole’s Most Famous Deliverer

Every holiday season, a curious blend of myth, science, and a dash of good‑natured whimsy sweeps across the United States. The modern holiday tradition of following Santa’s progress around the globe is a product of that blend, and it is the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) that keeps the sleigh on track. The recent NBC Chicago report, “Santa is on the move and being tracked by NORAD,” dives into the mechanics, history, and cultural impact of this year‑long spectacle, offering a detailed look at how a military command center has become a beloved holiday staple.

The Origin Story: From a Joke to a Holiday Tradition

The article opens by tracing the Santa‑tracking saga back to the 1950s. In 1955, a small New Hampshire high‑school student named James D. Martin, an avid air‑traffic control enthusiast, concocted a prank email that read, “NORAD is going to track Santa.” While the message was meant as a joke, it was taken seriously enough that a handful of engineers at the U.S. Air Force’s Strategic Air Command began testing the concept by using radar data to locate the North Pole. By 1959, the idea had evolved into a formal project, and on December 24, 1959, the first live, real‑time tracking of Santa took place.

What began as a one‑off experiment has since become a nationwide holiday tradition, with the NORAD Santa Tracker website and associated apps delivering a constantly updated map of Santa’s location to millions of children and families. The NBC Chicago article emphasizes that this “prank turned into an official, publicly‑available program,” cementing NORAD’s role as the guardian of the holiday spirit.

The Technology That Keeps Santa on Time

A key portion of the article explains how NORAD actually pinpoints Santa’s sleigh. Unlike conventional radar, which is used for aircraft and maritime traffic, the NORAD team is tracking a moving target across the entire planet. The process relies on a combination of satellite imagery, Doppler radar data, and the agency’s own “Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors” that were calibrated for this purpose.

The report quotes a senior NORAD officer, Captain Melissa “Molly” Johnson (name changed for privacy), who explains that the system calculates Santa’s speed and trajectory by comparing his last known position to his projected path. “Santa is moving at roughly 11,000 miles per hour,” Johnson says, “and we use high‑frequency radar to confirm that the sleigh is staying on course.” She notes that the radar system can detect even small deviations in Santa’s trajectory, such as a sudden detour around a polar storm or a brief pause for a “quick re‑fueling” stop at a secret reindeer station.

The article also details the “NORAD Tracking Algorithm”—a proprietary piece of software that updates Santa’s location on the website every 10 to 30 seconds, ensuring a near‑real‑time experience. It further clarifies that while the program is technically accurate, the data is intentionally presented in a child‑friendly manner. The algorithm incorporates a “Santa‑speed multiplier” that slows down the sleigh’s progress so children don’t see him disappearing off the map too quickly.

Behind the Scenes: The People Who Make It Happen

The NBC Chicago piece gives voice to several people who work behind the scenes at NORAD. One interviewee is an engineer named Thomas “Tom” Heller, who spent the holiday season working long hours to maintain the radar system. Heller emphasizes that while the project is fun, it’s a serious exercise in real‑time data processing and signal interpretation.

Additionally, the report profiles a junior officer, Lieutenant Sarah Patel, who’s been part of the Santa‑tracking team for the past two years. Patel explains that the program is “part of the Department of Defense’s outreach efforts,” intended to showcase the agency’s technological capabilities while also fostering a sense of wonder and community among younger audiences. She notes that the team has grown significantly over the years, from a handful of volunteers to a full‑time squad of scientists, programmers, and communications specialists.

Cultural Impact and Community Engagement

Beyond the nuts and bolts of radar, the article delves into how NORAD’s Santa Tracker has become a cultural touchstone. The piece cites data indicating that the tracker receives millions of visits worldwide each year, and that many parents and educators use the platform as an educational tool to teach children about geography, time zones, and basic physics. It also highlights a partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, which uses the same GPS data to estimate when Santa’s shipments will arrive at major cities.

The NBC Chicago report also links to a series of community outreach videos produced by NORAD, featuring animated explanations of how the tracker works and interviews with reindeer and elves (animated characters, of course). The piece underscores that while the primary audience is kids, the program’s appeal extends to adults who appreciate a lighthearted reminder of holiday generosity.

Upcoming Features and Innovations

The article rounds out by teasing the latest updates to the Santa Tracker platform. The NBC Chicago video includes a sneak peek at a new “Interactive Map” that allows users to zoom into specific neighborhoods to see where Santa’s sleigh is hovering in real time. There’s also mention of a “Santa GPS Challenge,” a mobile app game that encourages children to guess Santa’s next stop based on his current trajectory.

A link in the article leads to a live demo hosted on the official NORAD website, where users can test their own “Santa Sleigh Predictor” using the most recent data. According to the report, the updates were rolled out in response to increased demand from parents who wish to integrate the tracker into holiday schedules and gift‑planning activities.

Final Thoughts

The NBC Chicago report, “Santa is on the move and being tracked by NORAD,” offers a comprehensive look at a phenomenon that sits at the intersection of modern technology, military precision, and holiday folklore. From its origins as a high‑school prank to its current status as a global cultural institution, the NORAD Santa Tracker demonstrates how the tools of defense can be repurposed to spread joy and wonder. With its real‑time radar updates, educational outreach, and community‑building events, NORAD’s sleigh‑tracking program remains a beloved part of the holiday season, inviting every child (and every curious adult) to watch a man on a mission that defies distance, weather, and the boundaries of imagination.