Have you ever wondered what would happen if you were to throw a paper airplane from the International Space Station? Well, wonder no more, because a new study from the University of Tokyo has shed some light on this quirky question.
Origami, the art of paper folding, was put to the test in this study. Researchers Maximilien Berthet and Kojiro Suzuki crafted a paper airplane out of a standard A4 sheet of paper and launched it from the ISS at a speed similar to that of the space station itself – a whopping 7800 meters/second.
Surprisingly, the paper airplane held up surprisingly well during its descent back to Earth. From 400 km down to around 120 km altitude, the plane remained stable due to the lack of air resistance. However, as it descended further, the increased air density caused the plane to start tumbling uncontrollably.
But why stop at simulations when you can conduct real-life experiments? The researchers built a model paper airplane (with an aluminum tail) and tested it in a hyper-advanced wind tunnel at the University of Tokyo. Subjected to Mach 7 winds for 7 seconds, the paper airplane showed signs of charring and bending, indicating that it would likely burn up if exposed to such conditions for a longer period.
While this experiment may seem whimsical, it serves a greater purpose in the realm of aerospace engineering. Mission architectures for Venus exploration or Earth observations could potentially benefit from lightweight, stable platforms like the paper airplane model tested in this study.
In the end, science is not just about exploration but also about inspiration. This study on throwing a paper airplane from space station provides a perfect blend of both, sparking curiosity and creativity in the field of aerospace engineering.
For more details on this fascinating study, you can read the original article published by Universe Today [link to original article].
