Fighter planes intercepted the balloon about 8 miles (13 kilometers) over Utah. He posed no danger.
A small balloon in the airspace over the US state of Utah has put aerial surveillance on alert. Fighter planes intercepted the balloon on Friday at an altitude of about 13 kilometers, as reported by CBS News, citing the North American Air Defense Command (Norad), responsible for the USA and Canada. It was determined that he did not pose a threat to national security or air traffic.
The balloon will continue to be monitored. A US official told CBS News that a cube-shaped box, each 60 centimeters long, was attached to the balloon.
Just over a year ago, the US military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US East Coast. Beijing denied it was a spy balloon, saying the balloon was used for meteorological research and went off course. The incident increased diplomatic tensions between the US and China. (APA/AFP)