An American scientific research balloon was mistaken for a Chinese spy balloon. The flight tracking website "Flightradar24" quickly clarified: "This is not a Chinese balloon!" (picture taken from Flightradar24)

[Instant News/Comprehensive Report] The Chinese spy balloon recently flew into the airspace of the United States, causing concern. Many netizens flocked to the flight tracking website "Flightradar24" to try to find the balloon.

Unexpectedly, an American scientific research balloon was misidentified when the incident broke out, and the flight tracking website could only clarify that "this is not a Chinese balloon!"

The well-known flight tracking website "Flightradar24" issued a statement today (4th) that the Chinese spy balloon currently being tracked by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) does not have automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), so it will not be displayed on Flightradar24 .

Please read on...

Many netizens mistakenly thought it was a Chinese spy balloon, and the aircraft with the call sign "HBAL617" was actually a high-altitude research balloon of the United States.

The call sign of this high-altitude research balloon on Flightradar24 was also directly changed to "No, this is not a Chinese Balloon" (NO, this is not a Chinese Balloon).

Automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (Automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast) is an aircraft surveillance technology in which an aircraft determines its position through a satellite navigation system and broadcasts periodically so that it can be tracked.

????⚠️ The high altitude balloon currently over the United States being tracked by NORAD is not broadcasting ADS-B and is not visible on Flightradar24.



The HBAL617 currently over Alabama is a US-based high-altitude research balloon, NOT the surveillance balloon. https://t.co/lCVgIbsGVG

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 3, 2023