<ul data-eligibleForWebStory="false"><li>A study from the University of Tokyo explored what happens when a paper airplane is thrown from the International Space Station (ISS).</li><li>The paper airplane was made from a standard A4 sheet of white paper, resembling a basic origami design but with aerodynamic modeling.</li><li>Simulations showed that when the paper airplane was launched from the ISS at 400 km with a speed of 7800 m/s, it descended relatively stable until reaching around 120 km altitude.</li><li>At 120 km altitude, increased air density induced uncontrollable tumbling, leading to an uncontrolled flight path similar to traditional paper airplanes. Experimental testing in a wind tunnel showed the paper airplane could withstand high winds but would eventually burn up in the atmosphere.</li></ul>

What if you threw a paper airplane from the space station

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