Coimbatore Govt School Students Launch Atmospheric Research Balloon to 35 km Altitude

Coimbatore: Driven by curiosity and a desire to put their classroom learning into practice, 55 government school students from Coimbatore came together to design and launch a mini satellite-like atmospheric research instrument. Their experiment, carried by a helium balloon, gave them an opportunity to explore the science they had learned, test their ideas and observe atmospheric conditions first-hand.

The instrument, developed by students of a government middle school, was launched from Thudiyalur Corporation Middle School at 9 am on October 30. It travelled for around three hours, reaching a maximum altitude of 35 km — more than three times the cruising altitude of ordinary commercial aircraft.

Designed to study atmospheric conditions, the instrument was equipped with sensors to measure temperature, air pressure and humidity, along with a device to collect airborne particulate matter.

The instrument reportedly withstood temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius before landing around 80 km from the launch site. A recovery team successfully retrieved it.

The initiative involved the participation of 55 government school students, giving them an opportunity to turn classroom science lessons into a hands-on research experience.