The photo was taken by a pilot aboard a U-2 plane as the aircraft traveled above the balloon. The balloon was discovered on January 28 and the image was taken as the balloon traveled over the state of Montana on February 3.
A few days later, the United States shot the balloon down over the water off North Carolina on the east coast of the United States.
Canceled trip to China
According to the United States, it is a surveillance balloon with the intention of spying, but China believes that it is a balloon used for research and meteorological purposes that has gone astray.
The discovery of the balloon came just days before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned visit to Beijing – a meeting that was cancelled.
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