A floating airship conducts water vapor observation at an altitude of over 7,000 meters on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau on Thursday, May 23, 2019. （Photo: CCTV）
A floating airship has conducted scientific observation at an altitude of over 7,000 meters on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau marking a world record, reports China Central Television.
With a volume of 2,300 cubic meters, the huge floating airship called "Jimu No.1" Thursday conducted water vapor observation along Namtso Lake, which is at an altitude of about 4,730 meters.
Developed by Chinese researchers, it is said to be the first floating airship of its kind and size to arrive at such altitudes for the purpose of scientific observations.
The monitoring project is part of China's second Qinghai-Tibet research mission, and is expected to help researchers understand the source of the water supply and water transmission route on the plateau.
Dubbed as the "third pole" and "the water tower of Asia," the plateau provides water for many Asian rivers including the Yangtze, Yellow, Indus and Mekong.
