Paper Plane Launch from International Space Station

(University of Tokyo) In preparation for a launch from space, an experiment has proven that a paper plane can withstand a Mach-7 air stream for 10 seconds without burning up.

Shinji Suzuki, a professor in aerospace engineering at the university who took part in the experiment, said that in the plane's actual flight, it would be released from the International Space Station, 400 kilometers from the earth, at mach 20, but immediately after entering the earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 80 kilometers, it would slow to about mach 7, matching the conditions of the experiment at the university.

Researchers plan to calculate the plane's return trajectory based on experiment data such as the pressure exerted on the aircraft, and design a paper plane to be launched from the International Space Station. The plane will be 30 to 40 centimeters long and weigh about 30 grams, bigger than the 7-centimeter-long plane used in the experiment.

Data from the paper plane project will be applied to the development of new transport craft. Unfortunately, no information has been disclosed regarding plans for experimental cosmic spitballs.