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The suspicious balloon intercepted by U.S. fighter jets over Utah on Friday was probably just a hobbyist’s craft, NORAD said Saturday.
The agency said the mysterious balloon had left U.S. airspace but did not give any further details on who was operating the balloon or what its purpose was.
On Friday, the balloon was intercepted by military aircraft at an altitude between 43,000 and 45,000 feet, a little higher than most commercial aircraft fly. But it was allowed to continue its flight toward Georgia once NORAD determined it “did not present a threat to national security,” and the agency continued to track the balloon’s path on Friday night.