WASHINGTON: The United States is in the process of recovering debris from the ‘balloon-shaped satellite’ as called by the Chinese authorities. The White House on Monday made it clear that it would not return the remnants to Beijing on Monday.
Two days after the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter brought down the satellite, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that they have recovered some remnants off the surface of the sea and weather conditions did not permit much undersea surveillance of the debris field.
On the 5th of February, Colombia’s military said to have sighted an airborne object similar to a balloon after the Pentagon said on Friday that a similar object was sighted over it in Latin America. An F-22 Raptor stealth fighter from the 1st Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia on Saturday fired a missile into the Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina that had been floating over the United States for days.
Orders to take down the ballon were given by Wednesday, however, Pentagon recommended waiting for a clear space like that of water to avoid the debris falling on civilians.
Meanwhile, China apologized to Costa Rica as the balloon flew over its territory. The Chinese apologizing for the breach insisted that the ballon was focused on scientific research and had no intentions to spy.