Chennai boy wins space competition with helium weather balloon
Posted on: 24/Aug/2015 10:15:38 AM
A 15 year old Chennai boy has launched a 1,200 gram helium weather balloon in Kelambakkam. Rifath Sharook is a Std. 12 students who took part in the Young Scientist India 2015 competition organised by Space Kids India.
The balloon flew to an altitude of 70000 feet. It landed in Koothanur in Thiruvarur district. Koothanur is 241.9 kms from Kelambakkam. The balloon helped Rifath collect data on the atmosphere. It will take a day for him to study it.
The balloon`s payload was two kilometres below it. It had 15 types of sensors, accelerometers and chemical warmers. It also had GPS and GSM trackers.
Talking about his project, the boy said, (I) usually log on to the NASA website and get details about various projects. (I) came across a competition in the website named nano satellite but because (I am) an Indian citizen (I) could not participate and so (I) made it a point to participate in Space kidz India. I am also a member of the U.K. high altitude society. This lifting of a weather balloon popped up in my mind. All these students helped me in lifting the balloon... (I) love exploring things since (my) childhood days. When (I) was five years old India launched a rocket. At that time (my) father worked in ISRO. But the rocket had burst... I was playing with a paper rocket. My father asked me to not play with a paper rocket, instead make a real one. That inspired me, so from then on I had a desire to launch something near the space.
The balloon burst as per plan two hours after launch. The parachute along with the payload landed in Koothanur then. Rifts made the balloon along with help from students of Hindustan University.
A Space Kidz representative said, Rifath had come to (them) with this idea when he was in class nine. From then on we started this project but we faced so many difficulties as India does not permit certain regulations like satellite phone tracking. But finally the Government understood our project and encouraged us, and today we have created a history.
