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"Saturday Night Live" kicked off last night's show by spoofing the latest suspected threat to national security: a Chinese balloon. 

The balloon, which the Biden administration believes the Chinese government was using for surveillance, became an internet celebrity when people 

 its travels across U.S. airspace. China's Foreign Affairs Ministry said the balloon was for meteorological research and accidentally went adrift. But its presence led Secretary of State Antony Blinken 

 amid rising tensions between the two nations. 

The U.S. military shot down the balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday — a move that the Chinese government 

Hours later, the downed balloon became the subject of SNL's cold open. 

The sketch starts with Chloe Fineman playing the role of MSNBC host Katy Tur and detailing the criticism from Republicans who said President Biden should have authorized the balloon's demise sooner. 

A Pentagon official, played by Kenan Thompson, struggled to keep a straight face as he retold the shooting while using a happy birthday balloon as a prop. The sketch ends with an exclusive interview with the downed balloon, portrayed by Bowen Yang. 

, quipped that Americans would miss his presence in the sky. 

"You've made it very clear that I'm not welcome here, so good job," Yang said. "But let me tell you something: you're gonna miss this Chinese spy balloon — I mean, normal balloon, damn it." 

Giulia Heyward

Author

"Saturday Night Live" kicked off its latest episode with an exclusive interview with the downed balloon, played by cast member Bowen Yang. 

Hours after its demise, the Chinese spy balloon was the star of the SNL cold open

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