Track Santa’s Journey This Christmas With Help From Google, NORAD and Microsoft

NORAD has been keeping tabs on Santa Claus for 60 years.

Google lets you click on points of interest to load photos and information from Wikipedia about each location; Microsoft, which is again launching its tracker in partnership with NORAD (the North American Aerospace Defense Command), is taking a similar approach, loading up Bing search results for whichever location you select.

The NORAD Santa website is a feast for children – with Christmas music played by the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, a Santa Tracker Countdown, games (a new one is unveiled daily, like an advent calendar) and more.

During the Cold War those staffing the phones told reporters they were tracking Father Christmas “against possible attack from those who do not believe in Christmas”, according to the South Morning Herald. The website also shared a video of Santa’s initial takeoff. All aircraft have a code to identify themselves.

Once Santa lifts off, he is tracked with the same satellites created to warn North America of potential missile launches. He then works his way west in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Usually, Alaska is his last stop before returning home.

NORAD had 157 telephone lines and hundreds of volunteers ready to answer calls, including first lady Michelle Obama, who took a break from her Hawaii vacation to take forwarded calls.

Verizon, which pays for the tracker’s 1-877-HI-NORAD number, encourages workers to volunteer to pitch in on Christmas Eve.

Yes, Santa Claus is coming to town. Instead phone calls went to Colorado Springs’ Continental Air Defense Command Center (CONRAD). Col. Harry Shoup picked up. When he figured out he was talking to a little boy, he pretended he was Santa.

An officer there took calls from several children and assured them Santa was on schedule, beginning a tradition that now employs modern technology, including a smart-phone app and social media.