Hawaii residents may see a pair of high-altitude balloons off of the Waimea coast between Thursday and Saturday — but should know they are planned.

State and county officials say the balloons are part of a mission aiming to demonstrate the capabilities of uncrewed stratospheric communications by the Sierra Nevada Corp., an aerospace and defense company, and World View, a space tourism company based in Arizona.

Weather permitting, the companies will be launching the two balloons from Hawaii island to complete a demonstration of uncrewed stratospheric communication capabilities.

“Due to recent national concerns surrounding stratospheric balloons, the County hopes to alleviate any confusion or misrepresentation of these balloons as they’re launched,” said Hawaii County in a news release.

In February, the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina, raising new questions about a mysterious balloon that appeared off of Kauai last year.

Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth’s office says in a news release that the launch will occur in the North Hawaii region and begin a 4,000-nautical-mile journey over approximately 60 days.

The balloons are expected to travel at an altitude of 70,000 to 90,000 feet — above the altitude that passenger planes fly — as they travel across the Pacific Ocean.

They are expected to land on the U.S. East Coast, where a recovery team is expected to safely retrieve the balloons and related components.

DOT says the flights are coordinated with federal, state, and local authorities.

The balloons are launching from Hawaii because of the mission’s objective of traveling at least 4,000 nautical miles, according to the Sierra Nevada Corp.

More information about the mission is available at this link.