China's self-developed floating airship that is used in the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau reached a record altitude of 7,003 meters in Tibet Autonomous Region Thursday, according to its developer.
Developed by the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the floating airship named "Jimu No. 1" has a volume of 2,300 cubic meters. It can carry scientific instruments to conduct upper air observation and collect weather data.
The airships named "Jimu No. 2" and "Jimu No. 3" are also being developed. Jimu No. 2 is designed to operate at the altitude of 7,000 to 7,500 meters and Jimu No. 3 is expected to exceed the height of Mount Qomolangma.
The control system, power system and ground mooring facilities of the airships are independently developed by China.
The research mission aims to observe the climate change on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and provide support for its sustainable development. (Xinhua)
China's first fixed-wing aircraft for Antarctic research has been delivered by a U.S. producer and will be deployed in the country's 32nd scientific expedition to Antarctica. The red-and-white aircraft is printed with the logo of the State Oceanic Administration and "CHINARE", which represents the China national Antarctic and Arctic research expedition.
Nam Co, the world's highest saltwater lake, has grown remarkably in volume and surface area in recent years, local observers told Xinhua on Tuesday. Monitoring data showed that the lake, located in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, has seen its water level rise about 23 centimeters annually since 2003, said Zhang Guoshuai, deputy head of the Nam Co observation station under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
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