The US military is tracking a high-altitude balloon that was spotted over Colorado on Friday.
The balloon is not a threat, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
“The balloon was intercepted by NORAD fighters over Utah, who determined it was not manoeuvrable and did not present a threat to national security,” NORAD said in a statement.
Its provenance and purpose, however, remain unknown.
The balloon drifted eastward at an altitude of 43,000 to 45,000 feet as the day went on. Military aircraft were sent to investigate.
This comes after a Chinese spy balloon flew over the US for a week last year, creating a political headache for Joe Biden and briefly ratcheting up tensions between China and the US.
READ MORE: China may be about to fly another spy balloon while the US is distracted
Last year’s Chinese balloon flew across North America for nearly a week before it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed it was a civilian balloon monitoring weather patterns and that it entered the US accidentally.
It was eventually shot down by a missile from an F-22 fighter jet, but Biden was criticized for allowing it to fly for multiple days after it was first spotted hovering over Billings, Montana.
China has also been flying a record number of balloons near Taiwan as analysts believe the country is preparing a possible invasion. Earlier this month, the independently governed island nation detected eight ballons in one day, the highest since the defence ministry began keeping track in December.
Follow our social media accounts here on https://www.facebook.com/ExpressUSNews and @expressusnews
