A research team from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences prepares to launch the Jimu 1 tethered balloon for an atmospheric observation experiment in Lunang township, Xizang autonomous region, Sept 18, 2025. [Photo by Palden Nyima/chinadaily.com.cn]

The second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau successfully conducted the Jimu 1 tethered balloon atmospheric observation experiment in Lunang town, Nyingchi, Xizang autonomous region.

The tethered balloon, which carried 16 types of scientific payloads across three major categories weighing about 200 kilograms, ascended to 5,500 meters above sea level. Through coordinated multi-payload observations, the experiment marked a technological leap from single-point sampling to three-dimensional monitoring.

Zhang Taihua, a senior engineer at the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the experiment accurately obtained critical scientific data, including atmospheric components, pollutant distribution, and three-dimensional cloud microphysical parameters.