China Sends Giant Ozone Testing Balloon Aloft ����A gigantic balloon with the mission to collect data on the ozone layer was released at noon Saturday in Huizhou City of south China's booming province of Guangdong. ����Made of polythene plastic film, the balloon can contain 30,000 cubic meters of helium and has the same height as a 40-storey building when fully charged. It was said to be the world's largest balloon for scientific use. ����The balloon, which can reach a height of 30,000 meters, was designed and produced in China, and today's activity was part of a series of scientific studies launched since December last year at the joint sponsorship of the State Environmental Protection Administration, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and other organizations. ����The Latest report said that the balloon had safely landed after a two-hour flight in the air, and scientists from Beijing would make careful analysis of all data it had collected. ����A Beijing source said that another ozone testing balloon will go aloft during the traditional Chinese Spring Festival, which falls in mid February. HomeNews 1999-01-24 Page2 Full Story in Chinese