Paper planes launched from space facts for kids

People have tried some amazing projects to launch paper planes from very high up. This includes launching them from the stratosphere (a part of Earth's atmosphere) or even higher.

The current Guinness World Record for the highest paper plane launch is an incredible 35,043 meters (about 21.7 miles) above the Earth!

Paper Planes from Space: The Japanese Dream

A Bold Plan for Paper Planes

In 2008, some Japanese scientists and origami experts had a super cool idea. They wanted to launch a whole bunch of paper planes from the International Space Station. This station orbits about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth!

The plan was to send 30 to 100 paper planes gliding down to Earth. They hoped the journey would take anywhere from a week to several months. If a plane made it, it would be the longest flight ever for a paper plane.

Challenges of Space Launch

The main people behind this project were Takuo Toda, a paper plane record holder, and Shinji Suzuki, an aeronautical engineer and professor at Tokyo University. They had to postpone the launch. It was almost impossible to track the planes during their long journey. Also, they weren't sure if the planes could survive the super hot trip back through Earth's atmosphere.

In 2009, the team still hoped that other countries like China or Russia would help them continue the project.

Testing Heat-Resistant Paper

In February 2008, a test was done in Japan. A small prototype plane, about 2.8 inches long, survived extreme conditions. It flew at speeds of Mach 7 (seven times the speed of sound) and in temperatures of 200°C (392°F). This happened in a special hypersonic wind tunnel for 10 seconds.

The larger 30 cm (12 inch) planes were going to be made from special heat-resistant paper. This paper was treated with silicon to help it withstand the heat.

Finding the Planes

The Japanese team and JAXA knew they couldn't track the planes. They also couldn't predict where they would land. Since 70% of Earth is covered in water, most planes would likely land in the ocean.

However, each plane would have a message printed on it in several languages. This message would ask anyone who found the plane to contact the Japanese team. If a plane was found, its journey would show that slow, low-friction entry into the atmosphere is possible.

PARIS Project: Paper Aircraft Released Into Space

Setting a New Record

On October 28, 2010, a project called PARIS (Paper Aircraft Released Into Space) launched a paper plane. This launch set a new world record recognized by Guinness World Records. The plane was launched from about 90,000 feet (27,432 meters) up. This was about 120 miles (193 km) west of Madrid, Spain.

A team of British space fans working for the website The Register carried out this project.

Understanding "Near Space"

The word "space" in the project's name refers to "near space." This means it was not launched into "outer space." The plane did not go above the Kármán line, which is the official boundary of outer space.

Other High-Altitude Paper Plane Flights

German Launch of 200 Planes

In February 2011, another exciting project took place. Two hundred paper planes were launched from a net under a weather balloon. This happened 23 miles (37 km) above Germany.

These planes were specially designed to fly steadily, even in strong winds up to 100 mph (160 km/h). Each plane had a memory chip to store data. Later, some of these planes were found in Europe, North America, and Australia!

New Records Set

On September 13, 2014, a group of Civil Air Patrol cadets from Illinois announced a new record. They launched a large paper dart from 96,563 feet (29,432 meters) up. This broke the Guinness World Record for the highest paper plane launch at that time.

Then, on June 24, 2015, a club from Kesgrave High School in Suffolk, United Kingdom, set a new world record. Their paper plane reached an altitude of 35,043 meters (about 21.7 miles).