Just a quick post to mention the successful launch of a paper glider into space by a British amaeuter team.
The plane, Vulture 1, was released in near space – 27,400m up – from a helium balloon which then exploded (as planned) and parachuted down to Earth, with cameras recording the descent.
I’ve been keeping an eye on this project, code named Paper Aircraft Released Into Space (PARIS), which was devised largely by readers and jounralists of the online magazine The Register but also included input from the defence technology firm Qinetiq.
Joe Kittinger drops from a helium balloon at an altitude of 31 kilometres, setting the record for the highest jump (1960, US Air Force Archive)
With price tag of £8,000 the project is another step towards cheap, publicly accesssible space travel.
The plane has a 3ft wingspan, constructed from paper straws covered in paper. A tube of cardboard formed part of the release mechanism and the cameras were kept from freezing with pocket warmers. The website details the entire design process.
Perhaps we can look forward to a hang-glider version next. The man to try it out would surely be Felix Baumgartner who is hoping to attempt a new world record in space diving later this year.