SAMBA: Centre University of Jammu (CUJ) on Wednesday announced that its Radio-Sonde, a crucial tool for atmospheric data collection, was launched successfully from its ISRO centre in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. The launch, a part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO and CUJ, aims to enhance the understanding of atmospheric conditions and climate change, contributing valuable data to both national and global meteorological research, a varsity spokesperson said. Using hydrogen-filled balloons, the scientists record atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind direction, and speed from 12 kilometres above earth’s surface and the data is transmitted to the ground via radio signals. The spokesperson said this is only the third testing facility of its kind established by ISRO at CUJ. CUJ vice chancellor Prof Sanjeev Jain said the milestone event marks a significant achievement in the university’s ongoing commitment to advancing space science research and technology. “Today’s successful launch of the Radio-Sonde exemplifies our commitment to enhancing innovation and research in space sciences. This entire Radio-Sonde system is fully developed indigenously by ISRO under the ‘Make in India’ vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “This initiative not only strengthens our research capabilities but also positions our institution at the forefront of atmospheric studies,” Jain said. The centre launched the weather balloon in the afternoon, convenor of the centre Prof Vinay Kumar said. It will provide a unique set of data as the convection layer is fully developed by this time, he said. Other centres and institutions are collecting data only in the morning and evening hours, Kumar said, adding that the balloon will ascend upwards at a rate of five metres per second up to a maximum height of 40 km. The Satish Dhawan Centre for Space Sciences, a premier facility within the university, has been instrumental in providing the state-of-the-art infrastructure and resources for such pioneering projects, the spokesperson said. He said the launch of Radio-Sonde is expected to pave the way for future research endeavours and collaborations in the field of space and atmospheric sciences. “The data collected from Radio-Sonde will be analysed and utilised for various research projects, ultimately contributing to the broader field of space sciences,” he said.
