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Origami Plane to Fly From the Int. Space Station

SK writes "The University of Tokyo and the Japan folded paper (origami) plane society hopes to fly a paper airplane from the International Space Station to Earth. The plane will be 30-40cm long and weigh about 30 grams. A University of Tokyo research group has successfully designed a special paper plane model that was able to withstand a Mach 7 high velocity stream for 10 seconds. The experimental plane was about one-fifth the size and withstood temperatures as high as 300C without burning up." Unfortunately for most of us reading this, the original source is all in japanese.

29 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. Hey guys! by kcbanner · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Check out what I made!"
    "Ha, that's sweet! You know what we should do with it?"
    *Airlock Sounds*

    --
    Obligatory blog plug: http://www.caseybanner.ca/
  2. I'm chargin' mah lazer! by djasbestos · · Score: 4, Funny

    China will probably vaporize it, just out of spite.

  3. Re:flip? by ericlondaits · · Score: 4, Funny

    Simple... use carbon nanotube paper!

    --
    As a Slashdot discussion grows longer, the probability of an analogy involving cars approaches one.
  4. origami book by Bloke+down+the+pub · · Score: 3, Funny

    Somebody gave me an origami book once. I never read it - I couldn't, it was all creased seven ways to Sunday.

    --
    It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
  5. More likely ... by ThirdPrize · · Score: 5, Funny

    "We hope the space station crew will write a message of peace on the plane before they launch it," says Suzuki. As it enter the atmosphere above the United States and promptly got "neutralised" by some missiles.
    --
    I have excellent Karma and I am not afraid to Troll it.
    1. Re:More likely ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      This thing is giong to hit someone in the eye.

    2. Re:More likely ... by meringuoid · · Score: 5, Funny
      As it enter the atmosphere above the United States and promptly got "neutralised" by some missiles.

      I doubt it. The Americans have always had a bit of a blind spot for incoming Japanese planes.

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  6. Re:Translated by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Suzuki professor at Tokyo University (aerospace engineering) is a "message of peace from the space station to skip it. Land in the world where you do not know the fairy who could deliver" a dream said.

    uh, Fascinating!
  7. Re:Translated by IndieKid · · Score: 5, Funny
    Hmm, I think something was lost in the translation:

    Down to Earth from space station by this vision of creating a paper airplane, Japan Origami Association HIKOKI and Tokyo are working on a large group. 17, the university's wind tunnel using a validated test.

    8 centimeters in length experiment, the space shuttle heat-resistant form of folded paper airplane use by the process. Tokyo campus Ookashiwa (Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture), a super high-speed wind tunnel tests of the high-speed stream of Mach 7 in the heat resistance and strength to find out.

    When the space shuttle and other spacecraft will return to the speed of Mach 20, and the friction in the air and high temperatures for the heat-resistant surface is a special twist. Paper airplane is so light, slowing down from the thin air, landing in slow. Coming back without burnout might be.

    Suzuki professor at Tokyo University (aerospace engineering) is a "message of peace from the space station to skip it. Land in the world where you do not know the fairy who could deliver" a dream said.

  8. Re:Looks like we are missing a word somewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    the Japan folded paper (origami) plane society

    Nah, you just fail at reading comprehension.

  9. What if it crashes by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny

    What if it crashes? All the boffins are gathered, scratching their heads, and then one of them will say "But it looked fine on paper!" Then all the others will groan, and proceed to calculate the optimum method for beating the crap out of him.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    1. Re:What if it crashes by TheLink · · Score: 2, Funny

      We'll just have see how it all unfolds.

      --
  10. Re:Too Much Time?? by calebt3 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Good point. Paper has got to be cheaper than our current heat tiles.

  11. On the contrary... by zappepcs · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is the Librarian wing of the JSA testing new paper for books. This paper, obviously with embedded copy protection coatings, will prove that books are better than websites, and gloriously launch the Japanese people to a state of technological superiority over western libraries. This is just stage one of the Paper Ninja Warriors contest.

    Stage two involves plasma thrusters and a "paper moon" orbiter. When you can afford to launch 14 million orbital vehicles, one of them is bound to accomplish the job. Besides, what better building material to use if you want to send a message to aliens in other galaxies?

  12. RTFA!! by SailorSpork · · Score: 2, Funny

    Paper airplane? When I read the article, I read that the Japanese students wanted to recreate the finale from Final Fantasy VII where Sephiroth summons a meteor to destroy the planet! I've been taking Japanese class for almost 3 semesters, I should know what I'm talking about! :P

  13. Re:Translated by andphi · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have to wonder: is this better or worse than the cell phone text message novels?

  14. Pink Tentacle? by hellfire · · Score: 2, Funny

    I mean... I can't say any more than that. A news source, dedicated to the more unusual aspects of Japanese culture... called Pink Tentacle.

    I'm a total perv myself but I'm just having a hard time dealing with a news source with that name that has nothing to do with Hentai... maybe that's my problem... I must be too much of a perv.

    But then again, I am on slashdot, there must be tons of us unable to process this ;)

    --

    "All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

  15. Make your time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    You should have tossed an "All your base are belong to us!" in the middle of that just to see if anyone catches it.

    1. Re:Make your time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      He did.
      Didn't you notice?

  16. Racist Comment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Unfortunately for most of us reading this, the original source is all in japanese.

    I'm a Jap, you insensitive crod!

  17. Re: origami deorbit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Go creased lighting! Go creased lighting!

  18. Re:De-Orbit? by Bazman · · Score: 2, Funny

    Surely if you throw it *down* it'll then have a velocity component in the earthward direction, and since Isaac Newton is in the pilot's seat, it'll carry on downwards...

  19. Re:why not metal foil? by Xiph · · Score: 4, Funny

    They dropped making it of tin foil due to the risk of blocking mind control satelites.
    At normal altitude, a tin foil hat can block the ray for a single person, dropped in space however, the tin foil plane might block mind control of enough people, to actually affect the outcome of the upcoming elections.

    Remember, if we're provided a proper tinfoil cover, we will no longer welcome our <insert pathetica> overlords.

    --
    Blah blah sig blah blah blah irony blah blah
  20. I have a cunning plan by Chairboy · · Score: 4, Funny

    So, here's the thing. I've got a plane. And I have a window in the plane. The rules say (FAR 91.15) that I can chuck stuff out of the plane if I take reasonable precautions to avoid hurting anyone on the ground. So the answer here is simple:

    A bunch of paper airplanes with japanese writing on them, air brushed lightly at the nose to look like it's re-entered.

    Thrown out the window over the local university.

    Playing the odds, at least one of them will be seen landing by someone who reads slashdot. "Holy crap!" he/she (just kidding, he) shouts.

    Mua-ha-ha-ha.... I don't know what step 2 is, but #3 is profit.

  21. Ha! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fuck you, scissors and rock!

    1. Re:Ha! by gremlin484 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Ooooh! Lets throw Rocks and Scissors from the Space station and see what happens!

  22. Re:Translated by operagost · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now I know how the manual for my DVD player was translated.

    --

    Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  23. Re:This is brilliant! by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 2, Funny

    Date: the year 2250.
    Scenario: Ship on re-entry orbit to earth.

    Officer: "Captain, you're not going to believe this, but we were just passed by a paper airplane...."

    (I know, I know, even if it ended up in orbit, the orbit would have degraded in that much time, but I'd still like to see the expression on the guy's face when he sees it fly by the viewscreen."

  24. The full lyrics by rabiddeity · · Score: 2, Funny

    We'll get some ISS launches and some wind tunnel tests
    oh yeah
    (Keep talking whoa keep talking)
    A mach 10 liftoff and special coated paper oh yeah
    (I'll get the money I'll kill to get the money)
    With a paperclip on the tail, out the airlock it'll bail
    To be completely fair, we'll be catchin lots of air
    In Creased Lightning
    Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go
    Go creased lightning you're burning up on reentry
    (Creased lightning go creased lightning)
    Go creased lightning you're coasting through the atmosphere
    You are supreme the chicks'll cream for creased lightning