Where Is The Chinese Spy Balloon? Reports Say It Moved Over St. Louis Area

Topline

A suspected Chinese spy balloon hovering over the U.S. appeared to pass over the St. Louis area Friday afternoon, according to local reports, as defense officials remain tight-lipped about where they believe the balloon might travel to next.

Key Facts

The St. Louis sightings came after the balloon appeared to move through the Kansas City area earlier in the afternoon, while the crew of a private jet flying over the city reported the sighting of a “derelict ballon (sic) adrift.”

Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a news conference Friday the balloon is moving “eastward and is currently over the center of the continental United States,” without offering specifics on the location.

The balloon was spotted over Montana on Wednesday after moving over Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and then passing through Canada, according to the Pentagon.

Defense officials have not said whether they believe the balloon’s movements are being controlled or whether it is drifting with winds, but—for now—its path across the U.S. appears consistent with atmospheric flow.

What To Watch For

If the balloon is drifting on its own it should keep pushing eastward into North Carolina by Saturday, according to a Washington Post analysis of steering currents.

Big Number

60,000 feet. That’s roughly the balloon’s altitude, according to defense officials, placing it well above commercial aircraft, which typically don’t fly above 42,000 feet.

Key Background

Officials have said they are certain the balloon was sent for surveillance, but they have chosen not to shoot it down since the debris field might cause “civilian injuries or deaths or significant property damage.” Beijing on Friday acknowledged the balloon originated in China, but claimed it is simply a “civilian airship” that was somehow blown thousands of miles off course—an assertion the Biden Administration has dismissed. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday the balloon does not pose a “military threat” to the U.S. even though it appeared to pass near Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, which houses nuclear warheads.

Tangent

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was planning to go on a high-profile trip to China this weekend, which was called off following the discovery of the suspected spy balloon.

Further Reading

Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Hovering Over U.S., Pentagon Says (Forbes)

It’s A Spy Balloon, Defense Secretary Says, Disputing China’s ‘Civilian Airship’ Claim (Forbes)

Blinken Postpones China Visit After Spy Balloon (Forbes)