Chinese surveillance balloon
- Date
- 4 Feb 2023
- Place
- Across Alaska, western Canada and the continental U.S.; shot down off Surfside Beach, South Carolina, United States
- Record
- Curated case
- Assessment
- Explained
- Evidence strength
What was reported
From 28 January to 4 February 2023 a large high-altitude balloon with a solar-panelled payload drifted from Alaska across Canada and the United States at about 60,000 ft, tracked by NORAD radar and seen and photographed by many people, including over Billings, Montana, near the Malmstrom missile field. An F-22 shot it down off the South Carolina coast near Myrtle Beach on 4 February and debris was recovered and sent to the FBI laboratory. The U.S. government identified it as a Chinese surveillance balloon carrying intelligence-gathering equipment; China said it was a civilian weather airship blown off course. The episode was followed by the shoot-downs of three smaller objects in the next week.
What officials concluded
Resolved
Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon (DoD)
Strongest ordinary reading
Chinese surveillance balloon, debris recovered
Evidence profile
- Yes: Visual
- No: Infrared
- Yes: Radar
- Yes: Video
- Yes: Photo
- No: Film
- No: Audio
- No: Night vision
- No: Other sensor
- Yes: Civilian
- Yes: Military aircrew
- No: Military ground
- No: Airline crew
- Yes: Sensor operator
- No: Law enforcement
- No: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- No: Intelligence official
- No: Other
- No: Light only
- Yes: Orb or sphere
- No: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- No: Other shape
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Outside sources
- Wikipedia: 2023 Chinese balloon incidenten.wikipedia.org
On the map
33.55° N, 78.85° W, a position at sea, approximate
Show on the map