Who needs a multi-billion-dollar spacecraft to study the earth
when you can use a paper plane?
The plane, with a wing span of three feet and made of paper
straws, was launched using just a large helium balloon.
The craft soared to 90,000 feet before the balloon exploded, after
which the plane glided back to the ground, taking photographs as
Named Operation PARIS (Paper Aircraft Released Into Space), the
project cost 8,000 pounds, reports the Daily Mail.
It was the work of space enthusiasts Steve Daniels, John Oates and
Lester Haines, who said they came up with the idea after being
inspired by an equally ingenious project - of sending a lump of
cheese into space.
The team launched the balloon from a remote spot around 50 miles
west of Madrid. It took an hour-and-a-half to climb to 90,000
feet, before bursting.
The team tracked the plane using a GPS navigation system as it
took another 90 minutes to glide back to earth and landed in
woodland 100 miles from the release point. But for a hole in a
wing, their creation was undamaged.
Software consultant Daniels, 42, of Paignton, Devon, said the team
had embarked on the project "for a laugh". Although they spent
around 8,000 pounds to make it a success, he said he would happily
do it all again
The married father of two added: "Somebody launched a bit of
cheese out of a balloon, which we thought was a bit stupid. We
thought we could do something more technical than that.
"We decided to launch a paper plane because nobody has done that
before. It seems really silly but it was brilliant fun."
The three enthusiasts got together after discussing the project on
tech website The Register, and were sponsored by Peer One
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