evidence: But when the Pentagon announced Feb. 2 that a Chinese surveillance balloon had been seen hovering over the Northwest, the news unleashed a torrent of questions and political rhetoric. [...] High-altitude surveillance balloons, such as the one recently discovered from China, are different from satellites. These balloon-powered devices typically hover around 80,000 to 120,000 feet above ground. By comparison, the majority of satellites orbiting Earth do so at altitudes between 100 and 1,243 miles, although some satellites are as far as 22,370 miles away. [...] CNN, "Why the US hasn’t shot down the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, according to officials," Feb. 3, 2023