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***This is the full inside story of the Chinese spy balloon, its troubling implications for the defence of North America***

The report is extensive and very thorough - but, of course, eliminates speculation, However, I will speculate!

The article states: Though satellites are the major powers’ chief aerial spying tool, the theory is that surveillance balloons, operating at lower altitudes and able to stay aloft longer over targets, can capture higher-resolution images and intercept more communications.

These balloons fly as high as 80,000 feet and are, naturally, slow moving. However, the article states that this balloon just had a small propeller motor with limited ability to steer the craft. I believe that to be misleading; these balloons use a sophisticated guidance system that can adjust height to locate differing air currents and are adept at maneuvering in various directions using that technology {perhaps somewhat classified.} I understand that such a balloon is used over, I think, Nevada, as a cell phone 'tower' - effective over a broad mountainous region... it 'maneuvers' in order to maintain an effective phone coverage.

The 'slow moving' aspect is actually an advantage, not only for navigational maneuvering but also for fooling radar detection. The article points out that NORAD is {was} not programmed to detect slow moving objects, creating the 'picket fence' gap.

But lack of NORAD detection was not the problem. US intel knew of the balloon while still flying over the Pacific. It may have 'maneuvered' itself over some Pacific defense locations on its trans-oceanic journey. The article states that US intel did not alert NORAD to be on the lookout for the balloon - that the balloon was just hours away from entering the continent’s jurisdiction before the man in charge of defending the region learned about it. One press release stated: The military did not want this going public.

Yet a couple of civilian photographers DID discover the strange aerial object AND published pictures of it, forcing the military to offer some sort of statement of awareness at least.

“I think it was a bad mistake to let a Chinese spy balloon float all across America and only to leak it to The New York Times once some rancher or amateur photographer in Montana spotted it,” Republican Sen. Tom Cotton would say later. “I suspect if they had not … this would have never become public.”

The article states: ...a surprising assessment made public by American authorities months later. Forensic examination of the balloon and its payload by the FBI and others after the shoot-down indicated “for sure” that it never actually gathered any intelligence, let alone transmitted it back to China.

Andrea Charron, a political scientist at the University of Manitoba and a leading academic expert on Norad and North American defence said, "...that they hovered over some pretty important, key areas … makes me wonder.”

I believe that the Autopen Administration likely opened up our air space to Chinese spy technology. They didn't think that anyone would ever know about the over flight. When average citizens blew the lid off of the caper, it became a CYA operation. The idea that it did not collect any sensitive data is questionable, as Ms Andrea Charron stated above... the unit 'maneuvered' over multiple sensitive defense site within the U.S. {after entering the Aleutians Islands in the far north.}

As to 'communicating with China', I posed the possibility at the time that China could have multiple receiving sites with internet connections placed around the U.S., thus only requiring low power 'local' transmissions.

The ultimate question may be whether the {Bitem} Autopen Administration committed an act of treason, allowing a covert overflight by a potential enemy of top secret military technology locations.

I also pointed out - and posted pictures - that the Chinese had designed an undercarriage for these balloons that could launch hypersonic missiles - obviously from short range, making defense extremely difficult. That could be considered a First Strike capability.

Just what were the Chinese 'spying out' in these overflights.?