[SKRIVA] Pappersflygplan i rymden

En besynnerlig nyhet från:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/japan/story/0,,2253765,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12

Japanese astronaut to throw paper planes to earth

 Countless paper planes have been launched across classrooms from the hands
of mischievous schoolboys; now Japanese scientists are preparing to unleash
a high-tech version from 250 miles (400 km) above the Earth.
After successfully testing them this week, aeronautical engineers from Tokyo 
University believe the planes, made from heat-resistant paper treated with
silicon, will survive the fiery descent back to Earth when they are released 
by a Japanese astronaut on the international space station later this year.

 The planes, designed by the Japan origami airplane association, survived
temperatures of 250C (482F) and winds speeds of Mach 7 - seven times the
speed of sound - during their 30-second flight inside the university's
hypersonic wind tunnel.
"Paper planes are extremely light so they slow down when the air is thin and 
can gradually descend," Prof Shinji Suzuki, who heads the team, told
Reuters.

The engineers believe the technology could one day be adapted for use in
unmanned spacecraft but for now, their more modest aims are to set a new
world record for the longest flight by a paper plane and encourage children
to take an interest in science.

While the 100 or so planes stand only a slim chance of striking land when
they begin their journey in November, they will carry messages written in
several languages and a request to send them back to Japan - the
conventional way - should anyone be lucky enough to find one.

"It's going to be the space version of a message in a bottle," Suzuki said.
"It will be great if someone picks one up."

AE: Det lär bli intressant att se hur det går med försöken...

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