The ‘object’ shot down over Alaska on Friday entered US airspace before it was detected, a senior US official told Fox News.

“The official told Fox News the object was detected by the U.S. military while it was “over Alaska not far from the northern coast” on Thursday night.”

National Security Council spokesman Adm. John Kirby fielded questions from reporters on Friday.

“The President absolutely was involved in this decision. He ordered it…We’re calling this an object because that’s the best description we have right now. We do not know who owns it,” Kirby said.

Kirby told reporters that the ‘object’ was not manned.

“The knowledge about the balloon and the track first came to our attention last evening,” Kirby said.

Debris from the object will be recovered because it was shot down over water that is frozen near the Arctic Ocean.

Kirby said there was a reasonable threat to civilian flight.

A reporter on Friday asked Kirby why the China spy balloon and the other ‘object’ weren’t discovered until after they entered US airspace.

“Isn’t there a concern that these objects…were both discovered when they’re already flying over U.S. airspace? Should they be detected before they enter the U.S.?” the reporter asked.

Kirby insisted, “we’re going to…learn a lot about how these things…can be detected in a better way.”

WATCH:

Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder revealed more details about the military object shot down over Alaska.

He said the aircraft that took out the object was an F-22 flying out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson out of Alaska.

The fighter jet employed an AIM-9X to take down the object.