On Jan. 28th an object was spotted in the Alaskan Airspace, it was eastward of Alaska making its way down to the United States. It was a balloon sent from the other side of the world by the Chinese government on a mission still unknown to the U.S.

The balloon traveled over the north pacific and entered the U.S. airspace of the Aleutian Islands. It moved its way down Canada and then back into the U.S. entering Idaho and Montana where multiple ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) launch sights are located which are launch sights primarily used for nuclear delivery. 

The Pentagon decided to let it cross the country and not shoot down the balloon since it could endanger civilians. But some right-wing politicians like Donald Trump wanted it shot down sooner than that.

The balloon flew its way across the U.S. It went above Missouri staying pretty close to Kansas City. On Feb. 3, it made its last stop in the Carolinas when being shot down on Feb. 4 off the coast of South Carolina by an F-22 Jet.

According to government sources, the balloon was about 200 feet tall, it had solar panels mounted on the metal truss dangling below the balloon as well as collection pod equipment, including cutting-edge equipment that could gather communications signals and other sensitive information. The equipment had several antennas that were certainly capable of collecting and geolocating communications. 

China told the U.S. government that the balloon was conducting weather research but looking at the locations, the balloon went over. This is making it hard to believe since it went over an airbase and was near U.S. launch sites.