A high-altitude research balloon from the US is now among the world’s most-tracked aircraft, after thousands of internet users mistook it for the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon floating over the western state of Montana.
More than 4,000 users were following every move of “N257TH,” a standard high-altitude research balloon often released over the US, according to FlightRadar24. In response, the popular aircraft-tracking website said in a tweet on Saturday that it updated its label for the US balloon, adding that the object was “not a Chinese balloon.”
