During the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the aerostat, Jimu No. 1 Type III, developed by the Aerospace Information Research Institute, ascended on May 15, 2022, reaching an altitude of 9,032 meters, which exceeds the height of the world’s highest peak, Mount Qomolangma. It also set a new world record for observation altitude by a tethered aerostat.

Jimu No.1 is equipped with many scientific observation instruments which can record atmospheric composition data from an altitude of 7000 meters, providing new support for research on water, ecology, and human activities on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.

A aerostat is an aircraft whose internal gas density is lower than the air. In general, there are two types of aerostats, i.e., balloons and airships. A balloon is an unpowered airship and is either a free balloon or tethered balloon. A free balloon floats in the wind while a tethered balloon is attached to a mooring facility on the ground by cable. An airship is powered and steerable in the air. Airships are classified according to the altitude at which they operate into medium-low-altitude airships or stratospheric airships. The Jimu No. 1 Type III aerostat belongs to the large tethered balloon category.