The mystery surrounding the multiple objects shot down over North American airspace over the past week continues to grow, especially as the White House remains eerily silent on the issue. 

According to Fox News, the objects shot down over Canada and Alaska are now thought to have been balloons, though obviously smaller and different in technical capabilities than the first large Chinese spy balloon shot down earlier this month.

But even more concerning regarding the smaller objects that have been downed by U.S. military aircraft, including the latest over Lake Huron on Sunday, is that they reportedly carried small payloads.

Fox cited U.S. officials as the source of the report that the possible balloons carried a payload of some sort, though it's unclear whether it was a weapon or another type of instrumentation.

This isn’t adding up.

One minute the objects have no propulsion system, jam radar, etc.

Next, it’s a “small metallic balloon with a tethered payload”? https://t.co/gKmb6zC1FA

— Cryptid Politics 🇺🇸 (@CryptidPolitics) February 12, 2023

The object floating over Canadian airspace was ordered shot down by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said he had worked with President Biden on coordinating efforts to down the mysterious objects over North American airspace.

"Out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of their militaries, President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau authorized it to be taken down," a readout of the call between the two leaders said.

It added: "President Biden authorized US fighter aircraft assigned to NORAD to conduct the operation and a US F-22 shot down the object in Canadian territory in close coordination with Canadian authorities."

Though the three objects were shot down, efforts to recover what's left of the unidentified objects has reportedly proven extremely difficult given the terrain over which they fell.

Both 'objects' shot down over Alaska, Canada believed to be balloons, US says

“carrying a payload”

Has anyone considered that our plausible defensive options against a determined enemy are very limited? https://t.co/TAZul2PXCS

— Philip Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) February 12, 2023

It's notable that of the four objects, only the first one, the large balloon, is confirmed to have originated in China.

Though several on Capitol Hill have strongly suggested that China is responsible for the additional objects, U.S. officials have not yet confirmed the origins of the three smaller objects.

As of Tuesday evening, President Biden has not addressed the nation as to the threat level of the objects or if the military is expecting more of them, or any other information that could calm a justifiably concerned American public.

There are growing, bipartisan calls for the president to be much more transparent on what, exactly, is happening in American skies.