Scientists Aim for Origami Space Flight

March 27, 2008 By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer

A 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) long and 5 centimeters (2 inches) wide Space Shuttle-shaped paper plane is seen in a wind tunnel before a durability test at a Tokyo University laboratory in Kashiwa, near Tokyo, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008. Japanese scientists and origami masters are aiming to achieve what may seem a frivolous ambition: launch a paper airplane from space to see if it can make it back to earth. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

(AP) -- Japanese scientists and origami masters hope to launch a paper airplane from space and learn from its trip back to Earth.

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• TJ_alberta - Mar 27, 2008
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  is there such a thing as a long range RFID that could be printed on the paper?
  
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• CreepyD - Mar 27, 2008
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  Looking at wikipedia, I don't think RFID would be strong enough to be long range and fit in the aeroplane - It would need batteries.
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• DGBEACH - Mar 27, 2008
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  However, GPS and GPRS hardware has shrunk substantially over the past years, and could possibly be incorporated, using Lithium Polymer batteries. Although, the craft would have to be larger...maybe that 6.6ft model could carry it.
  
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• mysticfree - Mar 27, 2008
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  how 'bout a microchip that are implanted into pets?
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• nilbud - Mar 27, 2008
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  This is the most stupid and pointless nonsense ever. $300,000 (EUR99,000) a year on nonsense.
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• HeRoze - Mar 27, 2008
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  nilbud - you seem surprised at what can get funded with grants. I doubt this is the most stupid :). RFID won't work. However, tagging the things to be sent back in would. mysticfree's idea would be fine, just send in the tag. Or, just number each plane and send in the info, like they do with fish. This data would only be good for determining where it landed. I don't know of any practical telemetry or data collection device that would tell the story during re-entry.
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• Corvidae - Mar 27, 2008
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  While the 'paper airplane' aspect may make it sound cool or silly depending on your view. Being able to judge how well a craft will survive re-entry based only on its mass and surface area could be very useful.
  
  Instead of a paper airplane, why not drop a gps phone inside a really big block of aerogel? It should have about the same effect.
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• quantum_flux - Mar 27, 2008
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  Instead of throwing 1 paper airplane, why not throw many different paper airplanes all at once? Paper doesn't weigh that much, and hence it can't be that costly to do this experiment, say, 50 or 100 times. All of the ones that make it to the ground are then causes for further study.
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• wawadave - Mar 28, 2008
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  Going to be a challenge fold those in zero G and a vacuum.... lol
  
  I like the aerogel idea!!! easy to make in a vacuum. A large enough amount surrounding an astronaut could make a cheap emergency rentery shield after lower altitude splits apart and parachute the rest of the way.
  Any volunteers?
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• HeRoze - Mar 31, 2008
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  Corvidae - I just looked up aerogel. How cool is that! I want to video the giant cube of this stuff landing. I think peoples' reactions would be great. I think you are right though, the density would be such that it would ease into the atmosphere. Maybe make a flying wing out of the aerogel with the GPS transciever in it.
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