One interpretation:

A nation of irrelevant identity wishes to fire an icbm into America. Worried of automatically deployed air defense, they hire a friend to test. Is the balloon blown up immediately? What type of missile or flak is used to intercept? What size radar signature illicits a response? The balloon checks for radar locks, to see the source of our detection capabilities. Taking tally of where our defenses are.

Why did the US allow the balloon to fully cross the nation? A) maintains obscurity about the quickness of reflexive response, B) allows for decoy radar nests to deploy, feeding the spy misinformation.

Or maybe Biden sold the US to China and they are gathering some promised intel..

Edit: oh no, downvote the guy who thinks for himself for two seconds. Just be sure not to debate or give a reason for it. Just anonymous downvotes.

One interpretation:

A nation of irrelevant identity wishes to fire an icbm into America. Worried of automatically deployed air defense, they hire a friend to test. Is the balloon blown up immediately? What type of missile or flak is used to intercept? What size radar signature illicits a response? The balloon checks for radar locks, to see the source of our detection capabilities. Taking tally of where our defenses are.

Why did the US allow the balloon to fully cross the nation? A) maintains obscurity about the quickness of reflexive response, B) allows for decoy radar nests to deploy, feeding the spy misinformation.

Or maybe Biden sold the US to China and they are gathering some promised intel.