Officials Share More Details On Chinese Balloon As Debris Sought

VanHerck said the large balloon had a structure about the size of an Embraer Regional Jet under it.

풍선에 달린 구조물은 대략 소/중형 비즈젯 여객기 크기

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Feb. 6 that the balloon had propellers and a rudder, which allowed it to change course and conduct limited maneuvers, though it mostly stayed with the jet stream. It was able to slow down and loiter over sensitive locations, he said.

풍선은 프로펠러추진과 러더가 달렸고 코스를 바꾸거나 제한적인 기동을 할 수 있음. 특정 지역에서 속도를 늦추고 배회할 수 있었음.

As the balloon traversed the continental U.S., the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled intelligence-gathering aircraft to monitor it, including the electronic transmissions coming from the structure.

open source flight tracking websites spotted an RC-135U Combat Sent and RC-135R/T Rivet Joints along the balloon’s path. He said NORAD worked closely with U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, to monitor the balloon. Offutt is the home base of the RC-135s.

미국 북부사와 북미항공우주방위사령부는 풍선에서 어떤 전자기 방사가 있는지를 모니터링했음. 기종을 밝히지 않았지만, 당시 RC-135U와 RC-135R/T가 날아다니고 있었어요... 

After the Pentagon announced the balloon’s presence on Feb. 2, officials said there had been at least four other intrusions in recent years—one near Hawaii earlier in the Biden administration and three during the Trump administration. All of these incidents were brief, with the overflight far shorter than the most recent incursion, Kirby says.

The Biden administration only became aware of the intrusions during the Trump prior administration by looking back after the fact using an undisclosed “forensic” process, he says. The current White House has offered briefings to Trump administration officials on this. 

과거에서 최소한 4건의 풍선 침입이 있었음. 1건은 바이든 행정부 시기 하와이 부근, 3건은 트럼프 행정부 시기. 지금 사건에 비하면 모두 짧은 기간의 단거리 침범.

그런데 바이든 행정부는 트럼프 행정부 시기의 침범 사건을 인계받지 못했음. 과거사 조사과정에서 공개할 수 없는 "포렌식"을 실시하다가 그 사실을 알게 되었음. (?!???!!?)

정파를 가리지 않고 고위 정치인의 기밀문서취급 이슈(사실 사무실보다 집에서 편하게 지내면서 보면 머리도 잘 돌아가서인지 이해도 잘 되고 해서... 갖고 가고 싶은 게 인지상정이긴 합니다만)가 터지더니, 행정부간 인수인계까지 개판이었네요.