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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!mordor!@S1-A.ARPA,@MIT-MC:king@Kestrel
From: @S1-A.ARPA,@MIT-MC:king@Kestrel
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: reentry of paper airplanes?
Message-ID: <1631@mordor.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 2-May-85 11:44:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: mordor.1631
Posted: Thu May  2 11:44:06 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 4-May-85 07:29:02 EDT
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From: king@Kestrel.ARPA


    _________________________________
    >Date: Wed, 1 May 85 08:00:19 pdt
    To: space-network-source@mit-mc.ARPA
    From: pbear!peterb
    Subject: Re: Paper planes in orbit
    Gateway: mordor

    Eugene,

    Another idea is the feasibility of a paper airplane making it through
    reentry. I wonder if anybody has given thought to this as a
    recreation idea.
    I think it would since it would have such a large surface area to weight
    ratio, and that as a mechanical system is massively overdamped in terms of
    stability.

    So next time some one is out there on an EVA, cluth one of the paper
    airplanes in a glove before leaving and let it fly.

    Peter Barada
    ima!pbear!peterb
    ihnp4!inmet!pbear!peterb

    ------------------------------

It would not have a larger surface-to-weight ratio than the typical
grain of sand or dust that makes the typical meteor shower.  Also, why
would it reenter?

I doubt NASA would approve an EVA after reentry burn!

						Dick