The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is renowned for its cutting-edge stealth design, featuring a distinctive flying-wing shape and radar-absorbing surfaces that make it extremely hard to detect. But “stealth” doesn’t mean invisible. In 2021, a Reddit user famously spotted a B-2 in flight on a live Google Maps satellite image. The unexpected sighting offered a lighthearted reminder that even the most secretive planes can occasionally be caught in plain view.
The B-2 was discovered on Google Maps
In late December 2021, a Reddit user going by Hippowned revealed their discovery of a B-2 Spirit image on Google Maps. The blurred photograph, captured by Google’s satellite cameras, shows the stealth bomber flying over a field about 50 miles east of Kansas City, Missouri.
The images are no longer on Google Maps
The exact coordinates were 39°01’18.5”,-93°35’40.5”. The bright blue, green, and red colors appeared because of how the satellite cameras worked—they first took separate photos and then merged them to create a sharp, detailed image.
Sadly, these images are no longer available on Google Maps. Now, all that remains is an empty field.
What is the B-2 Spirit?
The B-2 Spirit is stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, roughly 20 miles north of where it was spotted on Google Maps. A total of 21 bombers were constructed between 1987 and 2000, each engineered to provide the U.S. Air Force with a next-generation stealth bomber capable of evading even the most sophisticated air defense networks.
The B-2 is expected to stay in service until the 2030s
The B-2 entered service in 1997 and saw its first combat action in 1999 during the Kosovo War, later participating in operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. It is expected to be retired in the early 2030s, with the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider set to take its place.
This wasn’t the only B-2 caught by Google Maps
This wasn’t the first instance of a B-2 Spirit appearing on satellite imagery. In 2022, Google Maps revealed another notable capture, depicting the aftermath of a crash at Whiteman Air Force Base. The aircraft, dubbed the Spirit of Georgia, suffered a serious malfunction during an emergency landing in September 2021. After touching down, it skidded off the runway and came to a stop in a nearby grassy area.
The incident resulted in damages exceeding $10 million. Investigators later concluded that tiny fractures in the hydraulic system, combined with faulty landing gear springs, caused the pilot to lose control during the landing—a costly reminder of the delicate engineering and precise handling required for one of America’s most advanced planes.