SCI FI PI

No, that heading is not a typo.

Website Boing Boing has announced plans by the Japanese team on the International Space Station to launch a paper aeroplane (co-designed with the Japan Origami Airplane Association) into the Earth's atmosphere.

Before you go saying that's silly and impossible, the paper is being treated with heat resistant materials. So it's not impossible. Just very, very silly.

Research began on January the 17th in in an ultra-high-speed wind tunnel at the University of Tokyo’s Okashiwa campus. The 8 centimetre long aircraft will be subjected to wind speeds of 8,600 kilometres an hour. That's also not a typo. They're pushing that baby to Mach 7!

So now we're thinking it's actually more awesome than silly. Although it's not that fast, compared to the Space Shutte, which endures speeds of Mach 20 when it comes down to earth.

Because the origami aircraft is much lighter and much slower, the team is expecting that it will not burn up on re-entry. Japan has not discussed plans for an all-paper rocket fleet, but this is obviously not too far away.