NOTE: The above video is from a report on taking photos of the upcoming solar eclipse.
DENVER (KDVR) — A high-altitude balloon was being tracked across the Western part of the country by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the agency confirmed Friday.
NORAD released a statement on the balloon’s detection Friday afternoon.
“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. The balloon was intercepted by NORAD fighters over Utah, who determined it was not maneuverable and did not present a threat to national security. NORAD will continue to track and monitor the balloon. The FAA also determined the balloon posed no hazard to flight safety. NORAD remains in close coordination with the FAA to ensure flight safety.”
North American Aerospace Defense Command Public Affairs.
Two U.S. officials reportedly confirmed to Fox News that a high-altitude balloon was over the Western U.S., but did not yet know the origin or purpose of the balloon.
The official said the balloon was drifting east on the jetstream, according to Fox News’s report.
The news comes just over a year after the U.S. tracked a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon in American airspace for a couple of days in February 2023.
A senior defense official told Pentagon reporters that the U.S. has “very high confidence” it is a Chinese high-altitude balloon and it was flying over sensitive sites to collect information. One of the places the balloon was spotted was Montana, which is home to one of the nation’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
