{"id":75460,"date":"2023-02-22T22:01:29","date_gmt":"2023-02-22T22:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/02\/22\/heres-your-first-look-at-that-chinese-spy-balloon\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:26:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:26:53","slug":"heres-your-first-look-at-that-chinese-spy-balloon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/02\/22\/heres-your-first-look-at-that-chinese-spy-balloon\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s your first look at that Chinese spy balloon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The multi-ton payload that defense officials had claimed was attached to a Chinese spy balloon<\/a> that floated across North America earlier this month looked like a oversized, suspended satellite, according to a photo released by the Pentagon on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The image, taken from the cockpit of an Air Force U-2 spy plane, shows two large panels dangling from a balloon several times larger than the payload itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe majority of the balloon, including the payload, was recovered<\/a>,\u201d Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said during a briefing Wednesday in which she confirmed the photo\u2019s authenticity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The image first made the internet rounds on Tuesday via journalist Chris Pocock on his U-2 news site<\/a>. CNN first reported Feb. 8<\/a> that the photo existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\t