The balloon first entered U.S. airspace nearly a week ago in Alaska and eventually flew over Idaho and Montana.
The high-altitude Chinese balloon that captivated America more than two days was shot down by the U.S. military Saturday afternoon as the balloon traversed eastward above the Atlantic Ocean.
A U.S. F-22 fighter jet fired a missile into the balloon around 2:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, sending the balloon exploding into the air and eventually landing into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean just six miles away from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The White House had deemed it unsafe to shoot down an object over mainland America while Republicans asked why it took so long.
President Joe Biden answered that question Saturday, saying he gave an order to shoot it down on Wednesday after it entered U.S. air space.
“I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible,” Biden said.
