• Photo Shows Shadow of U-2 Aircraft on Balloon and its Payload
• Chinese Surveillance Balloon

The US Defense Department has recently released a selfie taken by a pilot in a U-2 spy plane, which captures the image of a Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down by the US military earlier this month. The selfie, taken by the pilot, shows the shadow of the aircraft on the balloon and a clear image of the balloon’s payload as it crossed the continental United States. The photo was first reported by CNN.

The U-2 spy plane is a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft used by the US Air Force to gather intelligence on foreign countries. It is capable of flying at altitudes of up to 70,000 feet and can capture high-resolution images and videos of targets on the ground.

The US first detected the Chinese balloon on January 28, and it was later shot down off the coast of South Carolina after crossing the country. The released photo provides a clear depiction of the pilot flying above the balloon, which was hovering at an altitude of 60,000 feet when it was first spotted over Montana.