Mystery High-Altitude Balloon Flying Over U.S. Soil Tracked by U.S. Military

The U.S. military is tracking a mysterious high-altitude balloon that flew over American soil, but it’s not clear what it is or whom it belongs to. The object was first observed off the coast of Hawaii over the weekend and has been tracked since late last week.

According to three U.S. officials, the object does not pose a military or physical threat to people on the ground, nor does it pose a risk to civil aviation over Hawaii despite its altitude. The U.S. military has determined that it poses no threat to aerial traffic or national security and is not communicating signals.

The object flew across portions of Hawaii but did not go over any sensitive areas. It is now slowly moving toward Mexico and does not appear to have maneuverability. U.S. officials do not believe the balloon belongs to the Chinese, but they are still investigating the origin of the object.

The U.S. military has not yet taken any action against the object, but they could still shoot it down if it nears land. It did not directly pass over sensitive sites or defense critical infrastructure, according to U.S. officials. The investigation into the origin of the balloon is ongoing.