GTN.com Tech
& Science 10/28/17
What is it like to watch the
Earth 20 kilometers up from the ground? Touring the "near space"
might be one of our travel options in the near future.
An aircraft developed by
Kuang-Chi Group, a tech company based in Shenzhen, was tested successfully in
northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday. Dubbed
Traveler 3, the aircraft was off the ground for over four hours and
accomplished a series of experiments.
Traveler 3 consists of a giant
helium balloon and a small capsule that carried a live turtle during the test.
Made of polyethylene, the balloon will expand to about 18.8 meters in diameter
and 2,150 cubic meters in size upon reaching the "near space" that is
more than 20 kilometers away from the ground.
The aircraft can achieve both
autonomous control and long-distance control. Equipped with
communication system, Traveler 3 can send back environmental parameter, status
data, as well as videos and images to the Earth. The turtle inside the capsule
was secured by an internal life-support system to make sure it stays alive
during the test.
Travel 3 Consists of a giant
hello balloon ad a small capsule/Photo via Kuang-Chi Group
“In the experiment we conducted
this time, we built a small manned capsule with all the vital parts,” said Zhou
Fei, chief commander of the Traveler 3 project. “We are trying to build a very
big manned capsule, which is similar to a manned re-entry capsule that can
accommodate six people.”
According to Kuang-Chi Group, the
experiment was the first time a live animal had been safely brought into near
space. The developer will continue to improve the technology to achieve the
goal of offering commercial flights to human in the near future.
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