Tethered Balloon Experiment Successfully Carried out in SW China's Xizang

NYINGCHI, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists recently carried out the "Jimu-1" tethered balloon atmospheric observation experiment in Lulang, Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, which is expected to provide a new perspective for unraveling the mysteries of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ecosystem.

The tethered balloon was equipped with 16 types of scientific payloads with a total weight of approximately 200 kilograms. It successfully ascended to an altitude of 5,500 meters. Through coordinated multi-payload observations, the experiment achieved a technological leap from single-point sampling to three-dimensional monitoring, according to the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the major developer of the tethered balloon.

"Jimu-1" tethered balloon hovers above the ground in Lulang, Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

Some members of the "Jimu-1" tethered balloon atmospheric observation experiment team pose for a group photo in Lulang, Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

Technicians control auxiliary tethers during the "Jimu-1" tethered balloon atmospheric observation experiment in Lulang, Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

"Jimu-1" tethered balloon hovers above the ground in Lulang, Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

 Technicians adjust the observation payloads during the "Jimu-1" tethered balloon atmospheric observation experiment in Lulang, Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

 Technicians observe the progress of the "Jimu-1" tethered balloon atmospheric observation experiment at a control room in Lulang, Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

 "Jimu-1" tethered balloon hovers above the ground in Lulang, Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)