# Paper Airplanes in Spaaaaaace!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-airplanes-in-spaaaaaace/435639>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 30, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-airplanes-in-spaaaaaace/435639 "2008-01-30T21:22:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-airplanes-in-spaaaaaace/435639/1 "2008-01-30T21:22:34Z")

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[No joke.](http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/01/paper-airplane.html)

> [@](#):
>
> Who knew origami was _this_ multifaceted? The Japan Origami Airplane Association is folding up a paper airplane which will be able to survive the flight from the International Space Station to the Earth’s surface.

My question is: How are they going to slow it below orbital velocity?

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**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-airplanes-in-spaaaaaace/435639/2 "2008-01-30T21:35:25Z")

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How are they going to find it when it lands?

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**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-airplanes-in-spaaaaaace/435639/3 "2008-01-30T21:38:19Z")

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Well, if they throw it straight out behind the shuttle (or whatever), it just might dip low enough to graze the atmosphere and make it. Maybe. Thing is, if it touches the atmosphere, it’s coming in; the problem is getting it to touch at a very shallow angle.