Santa Travels At 3,000 Times The Speed Of Sound, But You Can Track Him With OnStar

Santa will be making will be making his rounds later tonight and Chevrolet owners can get live updates on his position using OnStar.

Thanks to a partnership with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), OnStar operators will be able to pinpoint Santa as he makes his trek across the globe. This is possible due to the government’s radar chain and geosynchronous satellites with infrared sensors.

While that seems like overkill, tracking Santa is harder than it sounds as he’s pretty spry for an old guy. Previous research has suggested he makes 822.6 stops per second on Christmas Eve. His sleigh also puts jet fighters to shame as it travels approximately 650 miles per second or roughly 3,000 times the speed of sound.

OnStar’s Santa tracker will be live from 6 am EST on December 24th through 5 am EST on December 25th. In the spirit of the holidays, Chevrolet will donate $1 to the American Red Cross for the first 10,000 people who use the Santa tracker.

In a statement, OnStar’s Stacey Unold said “Each year, we help keep spirits bright by fulfilling thousands of requests on Santa’s whereabouts.” She went on to describe the service as a “fun and festive way to connect during the most wonderful time of the year.”

While the Santa tracker is only available to owners with an active OnStar plan, there are countless other options for tracking Saint Nick. NORAD is one of the most popular and their Santa tracker is available online and over the phone at 1-877-HiNORAD.

NORAD has been tracking Santa for over 60 years and the project started in 1955 when a local advertisement incorrectly listed Santa’s phone number. Instead of getting Saint Nick, kids were connected to Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center which was NORAD’s predecessor. Shoup quickly discovered what was happening and the Santa tracker was born.