The Chinese surveillance balloon that drifted across the U.S. over the weekend was shot down Saturday off the coast of South Carolina. At an altitude of 60,000 feet, the balloon travelled through the stratosphere over much of North and South Carolina, with many capturing the spectacle on camera.
President Joe Biden issued the order. He had wanted the balloon to go down even earlier, on Wednesday, but military officials advised that bringing it down over land would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.
Chinese officials insist it was a weather balloon and that it was released was an accident. The balloon flew over numerous military sites, sparking concerns among the intelligence community and flaring up tensions between Washington and Beijing.
North Carolina Senator Thom Thillis criticized the administration’s response, saying “China was allowed to violate American sovereignty unimpeded for days.”