The Cold War era rivalry between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. over the missile gap is being reignited in a different form. U.S. President Joe Biden is calling for global regulations in the new battlefront known as near space: a high-altitude unregulated zone between 11 and 62 miles above the Earth's surface. In this space, China has already demonstrated advancement over the U.S. with the development of hypersonic missiles, space planes, and surveillance balloons.

Two YouTubers, Josh Pieters and Archie Manners, attempted to use humor as a form of protest against China's advancements by flying a mock spy balloon above the Chinese embassy in London. Despite the embassy's protections, armed counterterrorism officers showed up and the balloon was quickly removed from the premises.

Many U.S