On Saturday, February 4th, 2023 a Chinese spy balloon was shot down by the United States after it encroached on American airspace and violated military sites–marking yet another aggravation in U.S.-China relations according to reports from AP “American”.
As stated by the American Associated Press, a mission to recover debris from an immense Chinese spy balloon is taking place in the US territorial waters. This giant hot-air balloon was soaring at around 60,000 feet and appears to be as sizeable as three school buses!
Hours before the drop, President Joe Biden said, “We’ll take care of it,” when asked by reporters about the Chinese spy balloon.
This Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced a suspension of both arrivals and departures to three airports, Myrtle Beach International Airport among them, in order to guarantee the nation’s security.
BREAKING 🚨: The US has shot down the Chinese Spy Balloon over the Carolina coast pic.twitter.com/tHid39bUcY
— Latest in space 🪐 (@latestinspace) February 4, 2023
In response to the news of a Chinese spy balloon soaring through US air space, an act that Washington denounces as a “flagrant infringement” of our nation’s sovereignty, the government took immediate action.
Chinese spy balloon shot down
The Pentagon had previously announced that it was tracking the movements of a Chinese spy balloon flying at high altitude over the United States, including areas containing sensitive military sites.
At the request of President Joe Biden, the Pentagon considered shooting down the balloon, but ultimately decided not to do so, due to the dangers falling debris posed to people, according to a senior defense official.
The defense official highlighted their efforts to protect against the collection of sensitive information, emphasizing that “the balloon had limited value for intelligence gathering.” He further emphasized the importance of safety when dropping a large object in an inhabited area: “We considered that if it was dropped there it could cause damage from the debris”.
