Gaseous Compounds: Measuring the Composition of Trace Gasses in Earth's Atmosphere

The composition of the Earth's atmosphere is integral to the state of our planet. The general composition of the atmosphere has been recorded and verified multiple times, and it is well known that the most abundant gasses in the atmosphere are elemental Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Argon, followed by Carbon Dioxide. However, the atmosphere also contains trace amounts of various other compounds, as well. The purpose of this experiment is to measure the presence of trace gasses in the atmosphere. Over the past few decades, human activity has had a worrisome effect on Earth's atmospheric composition. As a result, there is an increasing need to study the changes in the atmosphere. In a previous iteration of the project, collecting data on the presence of trace gasses was attempted; however, an error in one sensor meant that it was left incomplete. In this iteration of the experiment, a payload consisting of various sensors will be launched into the atmosphere via a balloon-borne payload. These sensors will be used to measure the abundance of NO, NO2, SO2, SH2, CO, and O3. A vacuum pump will be used to bring air into the payload, upon which the sensors will analyze its composition. Through this experiment, we hope to obtain a proper reading on the presence of various important trace gasses, so that we can analyze it in comparison to known trends and determine where we currently stand regarding the health of our planet's atmosphere.