More details on balloon's trip from NYT

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/04/us/politics/chinese-spy-balloon-shot-down.html
https://archive.ph/uAtmh

Downing of Chinese Spy Balloon Ends Chapter in a Diplomatic Crisis
The balloon, spotted earlier this week over the western United States, was brought down when an F-22 fighter jet fired an air-to-air missile at it off the coast of South Carolina.
By Helene Cooper and Edward Wong
Feb. 4, 2023 Updated 8:00 p.m. ET

...

Pentagon officials said the spy balloon, which was remotely maneuverable to some degree by the Chinese but still dependent on the jet stream for travel, began its controlled drift into American territory on Jan. 28, when it entered Alaskan airspace near the Aleutian Islands. It first appeared to trackers at United States Northern Command to be just another one of China’s probes around the edges of America’s defensive borders.

It had happened before. Military officials say that China has spy balloons in orbit around the world at 60,000 feet at any given time, and the balloons occasionally stray into American territory. A senior defense official said that had happened three times during the Trump administration and one previous time during the Biden administration.

Spy balloons from China and other adversaries are sometimes categorized by the Pentagon as unidentified aerial phenomena, which also includes U.F.O.s, the defense officials said.

Officials said the most recent balloon, equipped with solar panels to power propulsion and cameras and surveillance technology, exited American territory on Monday and spent the day over Canada’s Northwest Territories. But it was back over the United States on Tuesday after entering through northern Idaho, much to the surprise of officials at Northern Command as well as at the Pentagon.

Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, alerted Mr. Biden.

By Wednesday, when the balloon had made its way to the skies above Billings, Mont., Pentagon officials were alarmed because the state is home to the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, one of three U.S. Air Force bases that operate and maintain intercontinental ballistic missiles. One Pentagon official described shock at what officials viewed as a blatant, and poorly concealed, effort at spying. A senior Biden administration official called the move audacious.

...

[Alexander Of Assyria]

1. Balloon went to Northwest Territories in Canada, then back to Idaho?

Officials aid the most recent balloon, equipped with solar panels to power propulsion and cameras and surveillance technology, exited American territory on Monday and spent the day over Canada’s Northwest Territories. But it was back over the United States on Tuesday after entering through northern Idaho, much to the surprise of officials at Northern Command as well as at the Pentagon.

……

That’s some wandering spy balloon, almost like it just rides the winds…??

And happened once during Biden administration??

….


It had happened before. Military officials say that China has spy balloons in orbit around the world at 60,000 feet at any given time, and the balloons occasionally stray into American territory. A senior defense official said that had happened three times during the Trump administration and one previous time during the Biden administration.

[No Vested Interest]

2. The first American territory was the Aleutian Islands, then Alaska, Canada, then lower US.

[Vdizzle]

3. Yeah no....

It would take a lot of propulsion to combat the prevailing jet streams. It came in over Alaska and through Canada and into northern Idaho. But, it is impressive that it even has any propulsion maneuverability at all. Most of those balloons used for weather become what we call “derelict balloons” when they go off course and not under controlled ascent/descent maneuverability.