Paper Space Plane

University of Tokyo scientists and the Japan Origami Airplane Association have finally pooled their resources to develop a folded paper airplane capable of being launched from the International Space Station and gliding safely to Earth. As a much lighter craft than the space shuttle, the origami space plane wouldn't be subjected to the same kinds of atmosphere reentry heat as NASA's craft, so it would be possible to treat a paper product to survive the trip. Also unlike the space shuttle, however, the origami space plane is incapable of carrying passengers or payloads and (like bubble tea, Gatchaman, and robot cats) would serve no beneficial purpose for humanity. Shinji Suzuki, an aerospace engineering professor working on the project, hopes the space station crew will write messages of peace on the plane before its launch. The plan is for the plane to strike the back of a substitute teacher's head before the space station crew are forced to read their messages out loud to the rest of the class. More details here.