Last year, a Chinese spy balloon flew across the U.S., and it had American technology onboard, as reported by Newsweek. This balloon travel ranged from Alaska to South Carolina between late January and early February 2023. It passed over sensitive military sites, raising fears that it was gathering valuable intelligence. The U.S. military eventually shot it down near South Carolina and recovered it from the Atlantic Ocean.
Now, it’s come to light that the balloon carried tech from at least five American companies. This included a satellite communication module, sensors, and advanced surveillance tools.
Initially, China claimed the balloon was a weather device blown off course. However, Newsweek revealed that the equipment onboard could capture images and collect intelligence data. There were even hints that it might have had gliders for more detailed data collection since it had empty storage bays.
Interestingly, the tech found matches a patent awarded in 2022 to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This patent included a messaging module called Iridium 9602 from a Virginia-based company. It was designed for high-altitude balloon communication and recovery.
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Analysis of the balloon’s recovered materials showed it used an Iridium communications system and parts from four U.S. companies, along with one from Switzerland. The identified American companies included Texas Instruments, Omega Engineering, Amphenol All Sensors, and Onsemi, as stated by Newsweek.
While the U.S. has called this balloon part of China’s broader surveillance strategy, China insists it was just a mistake. A spokesperson argued that the balloon drifted into American airspace due to weather conditions and its limited steering capabilities, emphasizing that they had communicated this to the U.S. promptly.
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