After saying the Chinese surveillance ballon was headed eastward, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the balloon is "maneuverable."

"So, the balloon is maneuverable. Clearly, it's violated U.S. air space, and again we've communicated that fact to the PRC," Ryder said.

"The balloon has changed its course, which is why we are monitoring it. That is as specific as I can get," he said, not giving further details on how it could be maneuvered.

"We continue to assess and make appropriate decisions based on how we are going to address what we perceive as a potential threat," Ryder added. "The safety and security of the American people is paramount. At this time we assess it does not pose a physical threat to people on the ground."

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder confirmed Friday that shooting down the balloon was considered.

"In terms of the discussions about whether or not to shoot down this balloon, that was an option. That was something that was taken into consideration," Ryder said. "Again, because we assessed that currently it does not pose a physical or military risk to people on the ground, for now we are continuing to monitor and review options."

Ryder said because of the "size" of the balloon, "any potential debris field would be significant and potential cause civilian injuries or deaths or significant property damage."

Ryder was asked multiple times if the U.S. will shoot down the balloon once it's over a body of water.

"We are monitoring the situation closely, but beyond that I will not have any additional information," he said.

When asked how close President Joe Biden was to ordering a shootdown of the balloon, Ryder said he "will not get into internal discussions with the White House."

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder disputed statements from China that the balloon spotted over the continental U.S. is a meteorological research device.

“We are aware of the PRC (People's Republic of China) statements. However, the fact is, we know it’s a surveillance balloon,” Ryder said. “I’m not going to be able to be more specific than that.”

“We do know that the balloon has violated U.S. airspace and international law, which is not acceptable,” Ryder told reporters. “We’ve conveyed this directly to the PRC at multiple levels.”

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder provided an update Friday on where the balloon is flying.

"While we won't get into specifics in regards to the exact location I can tell you that the balloon continues to move eastward and is currently over the center of the continental United States," Ryder told reporters. "Again, we currently assess that the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground at this time."

A South Carolina woman had a front row seat to the military missile strike on a suspected Chinese spy balloon, describing a "loud boom" that rattled her home.

"It literally just flew right over our development, our house," the witness, Liane Munier of Myrtle Beach, told ABC News. "As soon as I walked outside, I literally looked straight up in the sky and it was right above my head."

Munier said it appeared the balloon traveled just offshore when several military fighter jets swooped in and shot it down.

"I was outside, I was watching it. You saw all the fighter jets flying around it and circling it, you saw all the air streams. I think there were about five of them. I went back inside for a second and all of a sudden the whole house just shook that it was like a loud boom," said Munier, who recorded video of the midair episode on her cell phone.

Munier said she initially thought a TV fell off the wall in her daughter's upstairs bedroom, but when she went back outside, she saw smoke in the sky and "you saw the whole thing deflated."

"I knew they were planning on shooting it down, but I didn't think it would be this soon and this close to land," Munier said.

She said it was a relief to her and many of her neighbors to see the balloon shot out of the sky.

"It was nerve-wracking seeing it fly over," Munier said. "I'm sure the whole country felt like that, not knowing what it was."