NORAD Uses Military Technology to Track Santa in Annual Holiday Tradition

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — November 30, 2025 — Each December, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) transforms part of its operations center into a holiday command post to track Santa Claus’s Christmas Eve journey, using the same radar and satellite systems that protect North America.

The tradition began nearly 70 years ago in 1955 when a misprinted phone number in a Colorado Springs newspaper led children to call the Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD’s predecessor, hoping to reach Santa. Col. Harry Shoup, the duty officer at the time, responded to the calls, starting a military holiday custom that continues today.

NORAD’s Santa tracker has grown into a global event, attracting millions of online visitors and calls from children in over 200 countries. The tracking relies on the North Warning System, a network of radar stations across Alaska and northern Canada that monitor the northern approaches to the United States and Canada. These radars detect all objects entering the airspace, including the fast-moving sleigh that departs the Arctic once a year.

In addition to radar, NORAD’s Space-Based Infrared System satellites detect heat signatures, humorously described as Rudolph’s glowing nose, and relay this information to the operations center at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs. The same technology that tracks missile launches and foreign aircraft supports the Santa tracking mission.

The Santa tracking data is shared through the NORADSanta.org website and app, which are supported by private-sector technology partners to manage the high volume of visitors during the holiday season.

Despite the festive focus on Santa, NORAD’s primary mission remains unchanged. The command operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, continuously scanning radar feeds and satellite data to monitor potential threats to the United States and Canada. Officers, radar technicians, and support staff work through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, maintaining vigilance alongside the holiday tradition.

This unique blend of military readiness and holiday spirit highlights NORAD’s dual role in safeguarding North America while engaging with the public in a longstanding seasonal event.

Written By

Alison Grant

Alison Grant writes about jobs, inflation, corporate power and household finances. She focuses on how economic trends show up in paychecks, bills and everyday decisions for workers, families and small business owners.

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