Giant balloon to garner climate data

Chinese scientists launched a giant aerostat, a helium-filled tethered balloon, called Jimu-1 on Thursday morning to observe atmospheric water vapor at a record altitude of 7,003 meters in the Nam Co region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Unlike a blimp, which is powered and steerable in the air, Jimu-1 is essentially a supersized balloon with a volume of 2,300 cubic meters. It is made of a composite fabric that can withstand temperatures as low as - 70 C. It is the first time an aerostat of its class and weight has operated at such an altitude.

Jimu-1 is the first of three Chinese made aerostats that will be tasked with collecting more accurate atmospheric data to be used in studying climate change and sustainable development in the region, according to the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the balloon's manufacturer and operator.