The US has shot down a Chinese spy balloon off its eastern coastline, following days of alarm and discussion over how to deal with the balloon down safely.
With US President Joe Biden having approved the military's plan to destroy the balloon over the Atlantic Ocean, questions are now moving to what will happen next, and how China will respond.
What is the US doing now?
The balloon was shot down on Saturday afternoon local time while 6 nautical miles (11 kilometres) off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior US defence officials said.
Crowds lining the shoreline in Myrtle Beach cheered as a missile from an F-22 fighter struck the balloon, which quickly deflated and plummeted to the ocean.
US officials tried to time the operation so they could recover as much debris as possible before it sank.
With multiple aircraft in the sky, the US military immediately began securing a perimeter around the downed balloon, with the wreckage spread over an 11km radius.
A recovery operation began, including several ships, with the debris landing in relatively shallow water about 14 metres deep.
US officials estimate recovery efforts will be completed in a short time, with the operation not expected to take weeks.
A salvage vessel was also en route to the location.
Where will the wreckage be taken?
According to CNN sources briefed on the matter, the remains of the balloon will be taken to an FBI lab in Virginia for analysis by intelligence agencies.
CNN quoted a senior defence official as saying the FBI and other counterintelligence authorities would collaborate on "categorising and assessing the platform itself."
What does the US expect to find?
The surveillance technology onboard the balloon could prove to be very valuable to US intelligence services.
Experts such as John Ferrari from the American Enterprise Institute have speculated the balloon may have been testing America's ability to detect incoming threats and attempting to find holes in the country's air defence warning system
It may also have been attempting to sense electromagnetic emissions that higher-altitude satellites cannot detect, such as low-power radio frequencies that could help them understand how different US weapons systems communicate.
William Kim, a specialist in surveillance balloons at the Marathon Initiative think tank in Washington, told Agence France Presse (AFP) that the balloon may also be guided by advanced artificial intelligence technology.
Mr Kim said the balloon had a large visible payload, powered by large solar panels, with electronics for guidance and collecting information.
He also said that it appeared to have advanced steering technologies informed by artificial intelligence. Technology that is more advanced than anything the US has put into the air, according to Mr Kim.
"What's happened very recently with advances in AI is that you can have a balloon that … doesn't need its own motion system. Merely by adjusting the altitude it can control its direction," he said.
Can people take home a spy balloon souvenir?
No. Locals in South Carolina's Horry County have been warned against touching any potential balloon debris that may wash up on the shore, as the wreckage is subject to a federal investigation.
"Debris should not be touched, moved, or removed," a Horry County Police Department Facebook post read on Saturday, urging locals to contact police if they encountered debris.
"Such items are part of a federal investigation and tampering could interfere in that investigation."
How will China respond?
In the hours after the balloon was downed, China responded with a statement accusing the US of overreacting to its presence.
It continued to insist the balloon was a civilian aircraft which had accidentally floated into US airspace, and threatened repercussions over its destruction.
"China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US's use of force to attack civilian unmanned airships," the statement read.
"The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure, which was completely accidental.
"China clearly requires the US to handle it properly in a calm, professional and restrained manner.
"A spokesman for the US Department of Defense also stated that the balloon will not pose a military or personal threat to ground personnel.
"Under such circumstances, the US insists on using force, obviously overreacting and seriously violating international practice.
"China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of relevant companies, while reserving the right to make further necessary reactions."
Since the US publicly revealed it had been tracking the balloon over its airspace, relations between the US and China have been further strained, culminating in Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponing a scheduled visit to China.
