President orders military to shoot down "high-altitude" object over Alaska

Officials were tight lipped with details, but revealed fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command were tasked with taking down the object. The object has been under observation since last night, and the order was given this morning.

Officials estimated the ballon was approximately 40,000 feet off the ground, and was not self propelled. Mr Kirby said size and darkness played a factor in making it difficult for fast moving jets to determine more information. Currently, the recovery effort for the wreckage is still developing, and Mr Kirby had no updates on the efforts underway in Alaska.

"The object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight. Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of the Pentagon, President Biden ordered the military to down the object and they did and it came inside our territorial waters and those waters right now are frozen." Kirby told said during a White House briefing.

"We just don't know what this object was." -John Kirby

Mr Kirby also stated there is no plans to comply with China's request to return the other balloon the US recently shot down. Furthermore, Mr Kirby stated the US would "remain vigilant" of American airspace, and stated the president takes that responsibility very seriously.