Weather+Balloons+Scott+Schmalken

Weather Balloons are launched every 12 hours. They are filled with either helium or hydrogen. They have been used since World War 2 to provide profiles of temperature, pressure, relative humidity and wind velocity. Data from weather station all over the world reach the United States via a central computer in Maryland. They are approximately 2 m in diameter, and have an instrument package hanging from them. at a height of 30 km the balloon bursts and the transmitter parachutes safely to the ground. The balloon transfers the data through radio transmission.

1. Weather balloons are probably less expensive and they still give an accurate reading

2. They have to understand the conditions their balloon will be going through, and if they will burst at a certain height.