What Happens If You Toss a Paper Plane From Space?
Imagine folding a single sheet of A4 paper into a dart-like plane and watching it glide around Earth—only this paper craft isn’t in your backyard; it’s orbiting just 400 km above us. That’s exactly what researchers at the University of Tokyo have done. Their “origami space plane” experiment, launched from the ISS, is turning heads in the space community for its sheer simplicity and eco-friendly promise.
Instead of bulky metal or carbon-composite satellites, this ultralight “femtosatellite” relies entirely on one folded sheet of paper. In wind-tunnel tests and computer simulations, its paper-thin wings create just enough drag to pull it steadily down from orbit—no thrusters required. From 400 km up, it falls back to Earth in about three and a half days. And, thanks to intense heating at around 100 km up, it burns away completely, leaving no trace of debris.
Folding of A4 sheet into “paper dart”
Mass distribution of paper plane. (a) “X-ray” view of folded paper plane, showing CAD model and real model in front of light source. The internal opening angle, between the left and right sides, is 10 degrees. (b) Location of paper plane’s centre of mass in body-fixed coordinate system.
Why paper? Cellulose, the main ingredient in paper, breaks down into harmless water vapor and carbon dioxide when it burns. That contrasts sharply with traditional spacecraft materials, which can litter our skies with long-lasting junk. This origami plane could usher in low-cost ways to measure atmospheric density, test delicate materials in microgravity, or even teach students about space science by literally folding their own satellites.
Panel-based representation of paper plane in coupled simulator.
Wind tunnel results. Schlieren images of paper plane (a) at moment of injection into flow and (b) 5 s later. (c) Paper plane at end of experiment, after having spent 7 s in the hypersonic flow.
Of course, challenges remain. Tracking a paper-thin craft in orbit is tougher than following a chunk of metal, and certain chemicals in commercial paper might raise environmental questions. But this clever blend of art and aerospace engineering shows that sustainability in space doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, all you need is a sheet of paper and a bold idea.
Origital News Source: University of Tokyo origami space plane study.
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