TIFR to launch 10 balloon flights for scientific purpose

The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) today said 10-balloon flights will be launched from here for scientific purpose under the auspices of the Department of Atomic Energy and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The balloons filled with Hydrogen gas, carrying scientific instruments will be launched from balloon facility of TIFR, ECIL, here. The first balloon flight will be launched around this week, Sunil Kumar, Scientist-in-charge, TIFR said in an official release.
The balloons are made of twin (polyethylene) plastic films, ranging in diameters from 50 mtrs to 85 mtrs.
The balloons, which carry scientific instruments for research at high altitudes, are expected to reach at a height between 30 km to 42 km depending upon the experiments being undertaken.

"The instruments will be kept at these heights for periods ranging from a few to 10 hours and then they will be released from the balloon. After release, the instruments will come down to ground on large coloured parachutes.
"During ascentand at ceiling, the balloons will drift in the prevailing winds and the instruments, may, therefore, land at points as distant as about 200 to 350 kms from here," Kumar said.

"The balloon drifts will be on the
Visakhapatnam-Hyderabad-Sholapur line, in the areas of Andhra Pradesh, North Karnataka and Maharashtra States," he added.
Kumar appealed the peoplethat those who find theparachute and instruments are requested not to remove them from its place of landing and to telephone or send a telegram to the address which will be given on various packages.

Those who find the parachute and instruments are also requested to contact the nearest police station, post office and district authorities about the finding.
On receipt of information from finders, scientists carrying out these experiments will collect the instruments and pay the finder a suitablerewardand also all other reasonable expenses for making telephone calls among others.