The North American Aerospace Defense Command is busy tracking Santa on December 24, 2024 for the program’s 69th year in the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center located on Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. NORAD is a U.S. and Canada bi-national command charged with the missions of aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America. On Dec. 24, NORAD has the special mission of tracking Santa, using the same satellites, radar, and fighter jets it uses twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, to track anything that flies in or around the North American continent. (Department of Defense photo by Thomas Paul)