Watch: Mysterious Balloon Spotted Soaring Over Denver

Residents of Denver recently witnessed a peculiar balloon floating high in their skies, reminiscent of the Chinese spy balloons that traversed the United States last year. This sighting was first reported by KDVR, a local Denver news channel, on Friday, September 6.

The balloon, a white, semi-transparent orb, was identified by The Hill as belonging to World View Enterprises, a space exploration company. It had been launched by an employee from northern Arizona the previous Saturday, August 30, to conduct solar radiation studies in the stratosphere.

Phil Wocken, the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at World View, described the balloon as a sophisticated system designed for prolonged flights in the stratosphere, capable of lasting days, weeks, or even months. Flying at an altitude of 73,000 feet, the balloon was well above commercial airspace and was carrying equipment for NASA.

The balloon is part of World View’s Stratollite project, which involves balloons that, unlike typical weather balloons, do not burst at high altitudes. The technology behind these balloons has potential applications in environmental monitoring, such as tracking storm systems, wildfires, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Wocken explained that the balloon had lingered around the Denver metro area before being swept southwestward by the winds.

Local reactions to the balloon were mixed, with some residents recalling the unsettling appearance of Chinese spy balloons earlier in February 2023, which were believed to be gathering intelligence from American military sites. Others humorously speculated about alien involvement, though this was largely dismissed.

Denver meteorologist Chris Bianchi took to social media platform X to assure the public that the object was definitely not extraterrestrial. In response, Colorado podcaster Scott DeHuff humorously expressed skepticism, while another user, Jessica, suggested that dismissing the alien theory might be exactly what “they” want people to think. Meanwhile, Jaylen Archuleta playfully insisted it was indeed an alien presence.