Sawse - Stir it Up!

As technology advances and new frontiers are created, science never fails to inspire wonder. Many of us wish that we could return to the carefree innocence of our childhood and once again express our creativity in simple, yet original ways.

Well that’s exactly what Japanese Scientists have set out to do. A group of scientists from Japan intend to utilize a common do-it-yourself children’s toy, the paper airplane. Not just anywhere though. The scientists wish to make use of these planes in space. They are in fact planning to launch paper planes from space on a course back to Earth.

Imagine this, – a space craft zooming towards the Earth, zooming towards you, and the spacecraft is made of, well, paper. This idea might sound a little far-fetched to some of us. This fantasy may soon become a reality as we watch these paper spacecrafts glide down from the heavens thanks to scientists from Japan who are set to launch the paper planes from the International Space Station.

It is hardly surprising that the Japanese were the first to have imagined such an outlandish idea as Japan has always pursued engineering and scientific projects that not many countries would be inclined to even consider. However, radical new ideas have fueled Japan’s creativity and led to the creation of some of the world’s most innovative technology.

The team of scientists would test the paper planes in space by launching them from the ISS and allowing them to glide back to the surface of the Earth. They set to accomplish the feat by having a Japanese astronaut travel to the International Space Station and throw approximately 100 paper planes into space. The trip to the ISS would be planned for sometime later this year.

However, most experts express doubts regarding the logistics of the project. The majority of the skepticism stems from the friction that the paper planes would experience as they travel through the atmosphere on their whimsical descent to Earth. Every spacecraft that faces atmospheric re-entry features various materials that prevent it from being incinerated as it passes through the sky. Depending on the terminal velocity of the craft, the heat generated by this friction can melt metal. Can these paper planes survive even a few seconds of re-entry without being burnt to a crisp?

Despite the criticism of the project, the opinion of these experts does little to discourage the Japanese. They hypothesize that the paper planes would be light enough to maintain a very low descent velocity and avoid the buildup of excess heat. An extra precautionary step is planned as well. The paper planes would also be treated with chemicals that would protect the paper from heat as well as water.

The paper planes that look quite like existing spacecrafts have borrowed their basic designs from the popular Japanese art of Origami. The paper planes are 8 inches (20 centimeters) long and have been constructed out of chemically treated paper. The scientists predict that it would take several months for the paper planes to reach the surface of the Earth. They admit that there is no practical way in which they could determine or predict where the paper planes would ultimately land. However, they do plan to write some messages on the planes. The messages would be written in several languages and would instruct the reader to respond to an address or phone number if the plane is found – much like an airborne message in a bottle.

The paper plane models are being experimentally tested in the laboratory. In the experiments, the paper plane models are able to endure temperatures as high as approximately 300 degrees Celsius. The planes also managed to resist wind speeds that were up to seven times the speed of sound. However, the resultant shockwaves began to bend the front of the plane backwards and ultimately cause a loss in structural integrity. Nevertheless, the team of Japanese scientists remains quite persistent.

The paper planes weigh less than 30 grams each and there is only a four to five percent chance that the planes would land on solid ground. This is can be attributed to the fact that 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. The team hopes to launch 100 planes, increasing the chances for the planes to reach land.

The launching of the paper planes would truly be a one of a kind experiment. Nevertheless, the success of the mission would broaden the scope for related innovation. Perhaps one day the planes could play an important role in the transmission of data or physical samples back to earth. In future missions, the team hopes to create tracking devices that could be fixed onto the paper planes to make them more easily retrievable.

There are still obstacles to overcome in the planning of the first launch. However, with the dedicated nature of Japan’s scientific community, there exists the potential for the paper planes to one day become major revolutionary devices in the aid of future space exploration. If this venture turns out to be a success, one wonders if they would attempt to launch the paper planes from Earth into space…