The US has detected a mysterious balloon over Hawaii

• Authorities are tracking a mysterious balloon that appeared over Hawaii.
• So far its origin is unknown.
• The US has it under surveillance.

The US has detected a mysterious balloon in the sky over Hawaii. After discovering Chinese spy balloons earlier this year, another one has appeared in a different part of the country.

Now the US military has announced they are tracking a new balloon. So far they have not been able to determine its origin. A spokesman has been providing updates since April 28.

The US has detected a mysterious balloon over Hawaii

According to EFE, a Pentagon spokesman said that the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration «detected and observed» on April 28 an «unmanned» balloon near Hawaii, at an altitude of about 36,000 feet.

The same spokesman informed EFE that the balloon flew at an altitude that is used by civil aviation and did not pose any danger to Hawaiian civil aviation. He likewise pointed out that the object did not pass directly over any critical infrastructure.

It is under surveillance

In other words, the balloon was not seen in proximity to any of the defense infrastructures or in any sensitive government site. So far it is not considered a threat. The spokesman reported that they collected information about the device and Loyd Austin, the Secretary of Defense says the military indicated that it is not necessary to take action.

The device was detected by the US military on Friday, April 28, however, it was not until May 1 that the Pentagon spokesman confirmed it to EFE. They point out that the balloon is outside Hawaiian airspace and territorial waters, however it remains under surveillance.

It is not the first time that a balloon has been detected this year

At the end of January a Chinese spy balloon flew over the continental United States until it was shot down in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean on February 4.

The object flew over various areas of the US for days, including Montana, where one of the three existing US nuclear missile silo fields is located. This led to tensions with China, who admitted that it belonged to them but claimed that it had been lost and was used for meteorological purposes.