Current:Home > Contact-usSmall, nonthreatening balloon intercepted over Utah by NORAD-InfoLens
Small, nonthreatening balloon intercepted over Utah by NORAD
View Date:2024-12-23 10:44:13
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A small and nonthreatening balloon spotted flying high over the mountainous Western United States was intercepted by fighter jets over Utah on Friday, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
NORAD fighter pilots sent Friday morning to investigate the balloon determined it was not maneuverable and did not present a threat to national security, spokesperson John Cornelio said.
There has been heightened interest in reports of balloons flying over the U.S. after the military identified – and eventually shot down — a Chinese spy balloon that crossed much of the country last year. But officials say the balloon intercepted Friday was not sent by a foreign adversary and poses no threat to aviation or U.S. security. NORAD has not revealed where the balloon came from or why it was seen flying over Utah and Colorado.
U.S. officials last year shot down the large, white Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina after a weeklong traverse over the country that the Pentagon said was part of a large surveillance program China has been conducting for “several years.” China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”
NORAD is continuing to work in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration to track and monitor the balloon detected at an altitude of about 44,000 feet (13,400 meters), Cornelio said.
Early reports that the military has been tracking a balloon over the Western U.S. raised some concern among lawmakers, including from U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale from Montana, who said their offices were monitoring its movement.
veryGood! (69491)
Related
- New Yorkers vent their feelings over the election and the Knicks via subway tunnel sticky notes
- 10 to watch: Beach volleyballer Chase Budinger wants to ‘shock the world’ at 2024 Olympics
- Tarek El Moussa Slams Rumor He Shared a Message About Ex Christina Hall’s Divorce
- Clashes arise over the economic effects of Louisiana’s $3 billion-dollar coastal restoration project
- Oklahoma school district adding anti-harassment policies after nonbinary teen’s death
- Kamala Harris hits campaign trail in Wisconsin as likely presidential nominee, touts past as prosecutor
- BETA GLOBAL FINANCE: The Radiant Path of the Cryptocurrency Market
- Who plays Lady Deadpool? Fan theories include Blake Lively and (of course) Taylor Swift
- American arrested in death of another American at luxury hotel in Ireland
- John Mayall, tireless and influential British blues pioneer, dies at 90
Ranking
- NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison dies at 86
- Chris Brown sued for $50M after alleged backstage assault of concertgoers in Texas
- Chet Hanks says he's slayed the ‘monster’: ‘I'm very much at peace’
- Dream Ignited: SCS Token Sparks Digital Education and Financial Technology Innovation
- New York races to revive Manhattan tolls intended to fight traffic before Trump can block them
- Some Republicans are threatening legal challenges to keep Biden on the ballot. But will they work?
- What time does 'Big Brother' start? New airtimes released for Season 26; see episode schedule
- Karlie Kloss Makes Rare Comment About Taylor Swift After Attending Eras Tour
Recommendation
-
Taking stock of bonds: Does the 60/40 rule still have a role in retirement savings?
-
Stock market today: Asian stocks fall after a torrent of profit reports leaves Wall Street mixed
-
Physicality and endurance win the World Series of perhaps the oldest game in North America
-
Dream Ignited: SCS Token Sparks Digital Education and Financial Technology Innovation
-
DWTS’ Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran Prove They're Closer Than Ever Amid Romance Rumors
-
Kamala Harris uses Beyoncé song as walk-up music at campaign HQ visit
-
Fires threaten towns, close interstate in Pacific Northwest as heat wave continues
-
The flickering glow of summer’s fireflies: too important to lose, too small to notice them gone