Thanks to its airplane-shaped folding, the paper plane is statically stable in the vacuum-like upper reaches of space. It points nose-first into the airstream, guided by the subtle aerodynamic forces acting on its paper form.
This initial phase of descent, researchers found, is surprisingly calm. The plane passively maintains orientation for several days as it spirals downward, shedding altitude rapidly. “Atmospheric entry from a 400 km circular orbit occurs within a few days,” the authors write.
As the article explains, this is not just a whim. I was surprised to read that the simulation has practical applications, but the explanation does make sense.
Well – sorta.