I believe the first balloon, the giant spy balloon, was at an altitude of 65,000 ft. The F-22 Raptor was able to achieve an altitude of about 58,000 ft at which point it fired the Aim-9x missile. The 20mm cannon carried by the Raptor would not have had the range to hit the balloon. The smaller balloons shot down later seem to have been an overreaction by the defense department. I doubt they will do that again anytime soon. As a side note, no matter what the altitude, the balloons are a very difficult target to hit in the air. They are moving at a very slow speed relatively speaking. The fighters, even when flying slow, are closing in on the nearly stationary target at 150 to 200 miles an hour. To get close enough to use their cannon, they risk hitting the balloon. Shooting at an opposing fighter usually from behind is easier in some ways because the opposing fighter is moving at a speed somewhat close to that of the attacking fighter. A head on snap shot where both fighters are approaching each other at a high rate of speed is extremely difficult.
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