Balloon Shoot-Down Reveals New Insights On U.S., Chinese Capabilities

Chinese balloon over Modoc, Illinois

A photo of the Chinese balloon over Modoc, Illinois, on Feb. 3 reveals potentially breakthrough design features for ultra-long-endurance, lighter-than-air systems.

Credit: Frank Melliere
More than two years before a U.S. Air Force F-22 shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4, Zheng Zhenfeng, an employee for Taiwan’s weather service, photographed a similar object floating high above Taipei, Taiwan, on Sept. 26, 2021. Zheng’s boss, Zheng Mingdian, is...
Steve Trimble

Steve covers military aviation, missiles and space for the Aviation Week Network, based in Washington DC.

Guy Norris

Guy is a Senior Editor for Aviation Week, covering technology and propulsion. He is based in Colorado Springs.

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