A special high-altitude balloon was sent to to 38 thousand meters above the centre of Ulaanbaatar today as a unique way of marking the 380th anniversary of the foundation of the Mongolian capital. The balloon carried with it the names of 380 randomly selected UB citizens and works made by children aged 12-15 entitled ‘Our Creations in Space’. The balloon will actually have some proper work to do, in particular, collecting information on air quality above the capital.

The event is co-organised by the governor Office of the capital city and the Ulaanbaatar City Tourism Department in collaboration with Mongolian Aerospace Research and Science Association (MARSA).

Ulaanbaatar becomes the second capital in the world to launch a high-altitude balloon from its central square. The balloon was created by a joint team from the Mongol Koosen College of Technology and Japan’s Chiba Institute of Technology created the balloon.