The Chinese balloon that flew over the U.S. earlier this year did not collect any information before it was downed off the coast of South Carolina, the Pentagon said Thursday.
The whole point of using a spy balloon, rather than a satellite, is that it can remain on site.
China probably meant to use this balloon to monitor somewhere near its release site, maybe Taiwan.
It was blown way off course, China lost its ability to communicate with it, it could no longer collect information, it entered unauthorized airspace, and it was (appropriately) destroyed.
The whole point of using a spy balloon, rather than a satellite, is that it can remain on site.
China probably meant to use this balloon to monitor somewhere near its release site, maybe Taiwan.
It was blown way off course, China lost its ability to communicate with it, it could no longer collect information, it entered unauthorized airspace, and it was (appropriately) destroyed.