The U.S. military has intercepted a mysterious that's floating over Utah. On Friday, Feb. 23, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed that the U.S. began tracking the unknown balloon.
It was spotted floating over the Western United States. This latest high-altitude balloon sighting happened around a year after the U.S. government decided to take down an alleged spy aircraft from China.
Is this mysterious balloon in Utah another surveillance aircraft launched by the Chinese government? Here's what U.S. military officials said about it.
US Military Intercepts Mysterious High-Altitude Balloon Floating Over Utah
A staff at the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) holds a Ballon Leger Dilatable (BLD), used to collect meteorological datas, as a Ballon Stratospherique Ouvert (BSO), capable to fly up to an altitude of 40 kms for several days and carrying in baskets various space observation devices.
According to Fox News' latest report, the unknown high-altitude balloon was drifing east in the jet stream. As of writing, NORAD is coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to observe and track the mysterious flying equipment.
"In close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected a small balloon at an altitude varying between 43,000-45,000 ft," said NORAD's Public Affairs.
"The balloon was intercepted by NORAD fighters over Utah, who determined it was not maneuverable and did not present a threat to national security," it added.
The aerospace safety organization further stated that they will continue tracking the unknown balloon.
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Does High-Altitude Balloon Pose Risk?
Two white balloons float near the Chinese flag as activist Rev. Patrick Mahoney protests against the Chinese government over the alleged Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down over the US last week, during a demonstration outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, February 15, 2023.
Yahoo News reported that the mysterious high-altitude balloon doesn't pose any threat to national security at the moment. NORAD officials said that the flying equipment is seemingly made of Mylar.
Aside from this, the balloon is also carrying a small cube-shaped box. The mysterious aircraft isn't maneuverable as well, which means that its direction can't be controlled remotely.
As of writing, the U.S. military doesn't know who or what launched the unknown aircraft. This means that it is still unclear if the balloon is another surveillance flying equipment from China.
In February 2023, the U.S. government shot down a Chinese spy balloon that was flying over the United States for several days. The Pentagon explained that something needed to be done since the flying equipment had intelligence collection capabilities.
U.S. intelligence officials concluded that the Chinese balloon was spying equipment. However, Beijing denied these accusations, saying that it was only a weather balloon that was blown astray.
Despite China's arguments, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the controversial balloon of China an irresponsible act of the Asian country.
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