The Balloon lies

[EndtheMadnessNow]

But, but, but....

We continue our series of reports on China's latest scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Wang Xiying reports on the new Chinese tethered ballon that is gathering weather data from over 9,000 meters above sea level.

Higher than Mt. Qomolangma, the summit of the world, the Chinese tethered balloon, Jimu 1, has reached an altitude of 9,032 meters above sea level. It's the first time China has carried out such a comprehensive observation from the upper troposphere.

GAO JING Professor, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences "We have never carried out an observation from such a high altitude. We want to collect information about the changing process from the near surface to the middle of the troposphere, to fill gaps in research. And this place is ideal. Also, the data can help us compare meteorological gradients at different altitudes."

It seems like an easy job: inflate the balloon and let it go.

But behind all this, it's quite a hard work for researchers to install all the monitors on the giant vessel.

And, importantly, they have been waiting for days to get a perfect weather.

There is no way for the tethered balloon to go straight up unless the strong wind stops.

The best working window for the team is from midnight to the next morning.

The balloon carries half a dozen different monitors to collect water isotopes and carbon, measure ozone etc. It's fragile and precious.

It's not an easy task to keep it still until the day of the ascent.

HE ZEQING Senior Engineer, Aerospace Information Research Institute Chinese Academy of Sciences "The weather is not quite what we expected. It's quite terrible, which has a great impact on the movement of the balloon, causing bad turbulence. Although the whole system operates well, 64 of us have to ensure the stability of the platform every day due to the strong wind on the plateau."

Despite all this, the mission is partly completed. As the tethered balloon goes up and up, we are also one step closer to unveiling scientific mysteries high above the sky. Wang Xiying CGTN, at Chinese Academy of Sciences Qomolangma station.

Mission to Roof of the World