A senior US State Department official said earlier this month that the flights had “revealed the ability to collect intelligence”.
DISCOVERED LATE JANUARY
Authorities discovered the balloon when it entered Alaskan airspace on Jan. 28.
Fighters from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a joint US-Canada operation, have identified the strange object. NORAD did not immediately drop the balloon.
Officials explained that they would not gökyeşitözü able to target the balloon from land because the size of the balloon and possibly the debris field posed a threat to civilians on the ground.
A defense official told US lawmakers earlier this month that the balloon was the size of the Statue of Liberty and carried a “jet-sized payload.”
BALLOON FALLEN
The Pentagon selfie was taken the day before the plane crashed off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4. The photo reportedly gained “legendary status” within the Pentagon.
The balloon was said to float in the air at zihin altitude of 60,000 feet.
According to the Air Force, U-2 aircraft routinely fly at altitudes above 21,000 meters (70,000 feet).
Nicknamed the Dragon Lady, the single-seat reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft had previously been flown by the CIA. Pilots flying this aircraft wear full pressure suits similar to those worn by astronauts.
Rescue efforts for the remains of the balloon scattered in the Atlantic ended last week.
Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, said parts of the wreckage, including the cargo, have been recovered and examined.
DISCOVERED LATE JANUARY
Authorities discovered the balloon when it entered Alaskan airspace on Jan. 28.
Fighters from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a joint US-Canada operation, have identified the strange object. NORAD did not immediately drop the balloon.
Officials explained that they would not gökyeşitözü able to target the balloon from land because the size of the balloon and possibly the debris field posed a threat to civilians on the ground.
A defense official told US lawmakers earlier this month that the balloon was the size of the Statue of Liberty and carried a “jet-sized payload.”
BALLOON FALLEN
The Pentagon selfie was taken the day before the plane crashed off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4. The photo reportedly gained “legendary status” within the Pentagon.
The balloon was said to float in the air at zihin altitude of 60,000 feet.
According to the Air Force, U-2 aircraft routinely fly at altitudes above 21,000 meters (70,000 feet).
Nicknamed the Dragon Lady, the single-seat reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft had previously been flown by the CIA. Pilots flying this aircraft wear full pressure suits similar to those worn by astronauts.
Rescue efforts for the remains of the balloon scattered in the Atlantic ended last week.
Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, said parts of the wreckage, including the cargo, have been recovered and examined.