The University of Tokyo and the Japan folded paper (origami) plane society hopes to fly a paper airplane from the International Space Station to Earth. The plane will be 30-40cm long and weigh about 30 grams. A University of Tokyo research group has successfully designed a special paper plane model that was able to withstand a mach 7 high velocity stream for 10 seconds. The experimental plane was about one-fifth the size and withstood temperatures as high as 300C without burning up. The group plans to fly the plane by throwing it.

The actual conditions for the plan from the International Space Station, 400kms from the earth, will be speeds up to mach 20. Only after entering the earth’s atmosphere at an altitude of 80kms will it slow to a paltry mach 7.