The Chinese Balloon Incident

On January 28th, 2023 a Chinese-operated surveillance balloon was spotted crossing into American airspace in Alaska. The balloon was taller than the Statue of Liberty, and was carrying a giant satellite beneath it.

It crossed Canada and then into the mainland U.S. where President Biden ordered that the balloon be shot down over the Atlantic near South-Carolina.

A team of fighter Jets eventually was able to shoot down the balloon. The balloon was taken by the FBI for further investigation, they found various devices on it, including surveillance equipment capable of locating communication devices, as well as solar panels, and multiple antennas.

China has maintained that the Balloon was mainly for civilian purposes, mostly weather. However, scientists have claimed that its course is abnormal for a weather balloon. Later, analysis has shown that it may have originally been plotted for Hawaii and was blown off track by winds.

The impacts of this balloon have increased tensions with China, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a meeting in Beijing. Following this incident, multiple similar balloons have been spotted across the world, as well as different types of UFOs that appear smaller. Whether or not they are related to the Chinese balloon is speculation.