The United States is convinced of this: the Chinese balloon which flew over their territory last week was well equipped with spy tools. Snapshots taken by U2 spy planes indicate that the balloon material “was clearly made for observation for spy purposes, and does not fit with weather balloon equipment”the official Beijing version, said a senior US State Department official, on condition of anonymity.
“It had many antennas, a set probably capable of collecting and geo-locating communications”, he added in a press release. The ball “was equipped with solar panels large enough to provide the energy needed to operate multiple sensors collecting intelligence”.