Tokyo Engineers Simulate 80-Hour Paper Plane Orbit, Find It Burns Up on Re-entry
Updated
Updated · Jalopnik · Jun 30
Tokyo Engineers Simulate 80-Hour Paper Plane Orbit, Find It Burns Up on Re-entry
2 articles · Updated · Jalopnik · Jun 30
Summary
University of Tokyo engineers found an A4 paper airplane released from the ISS would stay in orbit about 80 hours before plunging into the atmosphere and burning up.
Numerical modeling showed the origami plane would remain broadly stable in low-Earth orbit, then suddenly nose-dive as drag increased near re-entry.
Wind-tunnel tests pushed a real paper model to Mach 7 and about 710°F, where it generated shock waves but suffered edge scorching and an upward-bending nose.
The Acta Astronautica study suggests paper craft are too fragile to survive descent, though their very low cost could make multiple experimental deployments feasible.