U.S. officials have reported tracking a high-altitude balloon flying over the Western United States, its origin and intent currently unknown. Detected by military aircraft, the balloon was seen moving at an altitude of over 40,000 feet and carried a small cube-shaped payload. Initially spotted over Colorado, it was expected to move over Georgia.
This surveillance comes after a previous incident involving a Chinese balloon, claimed to be for weather data collection, which traversed U.S. airspace, sparking significant political and diplomatic debates. The U.S. downed the balloon off South Carolina’s coast in February 2023, an action that led to heightened vigilance against aerial objects and influenced U.S.-China relations, including impacting diplomatic engagements.
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