A mysterious new Chinese military blimp was spotted by a satellite in a desert military base

• BlackSky, a US satellite firm, recorded footage of a mysterious Chinese blimp. 
• The 100 foot blimp was hovering over a remote military base in northwest China. 
• It was pictured shortly before the US shot down a Chinese spy balloon. 

A US satellite company has captured images of a Chinese blimp at a military base in the northeast of the country, signaling a significant improvement in China's airship program.

The images were taken by private satellite firm BlackSky, and published this week. They show a blimp, believed to be around 100 feet long, over the runway of a military base in Xinjiang Province, northeastern China.