Roeland Van Malderen, scientifique à l’IRM : “First there is the radio probe, it is a miniature metrological station which measures the temperature, pressure, relative humidity. There is also a GPS sensor for detecting winds and wind speed. And that is an ozone probe to measure the concentration of ozone in the atmosphere. It consists of a pump that will lead the air through chemical cells that react with ozone molecules in the atmosphere.”
The ozone sensor is housed in a box in frigolite to protect the chemical solutions from the cold, temperatures can drop to -60 degrees at altitude. Everything is connected to a balloon and a parachute as evidenced by Manoel da Silva, a radio amateur: “We put a cubic meter of hydrogen and then we launch everything and as we go up in altitude, the pressure decreases. The balloon rises and increases in volume. And then, beyond a certain altitude, the pressure is so low outside that the balloon bursts. And the little train is coming down.”
On the occasion of the Institute’s open days, radio amateurs and other climate enthusiasts can reuse the institute’s weather balloons and put their own sensors in them. Sylvain Guichaux, professor at the High School of the Province of Liège.
