JAXA's origami shape shuttles

earlier this year nine origami space shuttles were created by the japanese aerospace exploration agency (JAXA) together with the university of tokyo and machinery manufacturer castem with the intention of launching them into space in early 2009. the 29-gram origami shuttles, which measure 38 centimeters long and 22 centimeter wide, are made from lightweight but durable sugar cane fiber paper that has been chemically treated to resist heat and water. tests were carried out with the prototype in which it survived wind speeds of Mach 7 (8,600 kph) and temperatures of around 200 degrees celsius. it has been recently announced that plans will not go ahead to launch, as steps to prevent the craft from colliding with satellites or ending up as garbage were not sufficient.

a message printed beneath the wings in 10 different languages

more: http://www.pinktentacle.com — via: asahi