Originally Posted by
Stu666
Gun door on F-22 can't be opened above a certain height, don't recall exact figure but I believe the balloon was at a higher altitude than this limit. They also wanted to ensure separation of the payload and balloon; this I imagine would've been tricky to achieve with a gun.
Thanks, Stu666, I didn't know that. I imagine there's a speed limit, too, but I don't suppose that was relevant here..