The spy balloon was floating at an altitude where planes don't fly but would be shot down if it posed a threat to civilian aviation. RELATED: Chinese spy balloon spotted over Montana, Pentagon officials confirm https://bit.ly/3Ry2zsD Americans on Saturday reported seeing the large Chinese balloon suspected of conducting surveillance as it drifted over the Southern U.S. Hours later, it was shot out of the sky over the Atlantic Ocean. TV footage showed the moment the balloon appeared to be hit and began its descent toward the water. The balloon was downed after it passed into U.S. territorial waters, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. It carried a large payload of spy gear according to U.S. officials, and had soared over several strategic sites, including nuclear missile silos as it crossed a huge swath of the U.S. » Subscribe to USA TODAY: http://bit.ly/1xa3XAh » Watch more on this and other topics from USA TODAY: https://bit.ly/3Il7OJE » USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos and VR. #China #Spy #Balloon