02:10Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov demonstrated how a paper plane behaves in zero gravity in exclusive footage captured aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, February 22.
Borisov is shown launching the plane in an area located between the station's service and hub modules while explaining the peculiar aerodynamics behind its motion.
"In this module, the main air mass is flowing from the service module towards the hub module at a speed of about 10 centimetres per second. If you just gently let go of the aeroplane, it will be picked up by this airflow and will fly exactly in this direction," the cosmonaut explained.
According to Borisov, planes on Earth need extra energy from an engine to stay airborne. However, without gravity, the energy from one throw is enough to propel the plane forward indefinitely.
"In order for aeroplanes to keep flying, they need extra energy, which the engine usually provides. It keeps the aeroplanes moving at the speed of the air stream. Thus, the air force remains constant and is equalised with gravity. In weightlessness, of course, this does not happen," he added.
Borisov arrived at the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon craft with the Crew-7 expedition on August 27, 2023.
The crew also included NASA astronaut and Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa.
Borisov is the third Russian cosmonaut to travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX rocket, after Anna Kikina and Andrey Fedyaev, who arrived at the station in October 2022 and March 2023, respectively.
Up, up and away! Cosmonaut Borisov shows how paper planes fly in zero gravity *EXCLUSIVE*
Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov demonstrated how a paper plane behaves in zero gravity in exclusive footage captured aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, February 22.
Borisov is shown launching the plane in an area located between the station's service and hub modules while explaining the peculiar aerodynamics behind its motion.
"In this module, the main air mass is flowing from the service module towards the hub module at a speed of about 10 centimetres per second. If you just gently let go of the aeroplane, it will be picked up by this airflow and will fly exactly in this direction," the cosmonaut explained.
According to Borisov, planes on Earth need extra energy from an engine to stay airborne. However, without gravity, the energy from one throw is enough to propel the plane forward indefinitely.
"In order for aeroplanes to keep flying, they need extra energy, which the engine usually provides. It keeps the aeroplanes moving at the speed of the air stream. Thus, the air force remains constant and is equalised with gravity. In weightlessness, of course, this does not happen," he added.
Borisov arrived at the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon craft with the Crew-7 expedition on August 27, 2023.
The crew also included NASA astronaut and Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa.
Borisov is the third Russian cosmonaut to travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX rocket, after Anna Kikina and Andrey Fedyaev, who arrived at the station in October 2022 and March 2023, respectively.
Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov demonstrated how a paper plane behaves in zero gravity in exclusive footage captured aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, February 22.
Borisov is shown launching the plane in an area located between the station's service and hub modules while explaining the peculiar aerodynamics behind its motion.
"In this module, the main air mass is flowing from the service module towards the hub module at a speed of about 10 centimetres per second. If you just gently let go of the aeroplane, it will be picked up by this airflow and will fly exactly in this direction," the cosmonaut explained.
According to Borisov, planes on Earth need extra energy from an engine to stay airborne. However, without gravity, the energy from one throw is enough to propel the plane forward indefinitely.
"In order for aeroplanes to keep flying, they need extra energy, which the engine usually provides. It keeps the aeroplanes moving at the speed of the air stream. Thus, the air force remains constant and is equalised with gravity. In weightlessness, of course, this does not happen," he added.
Borisov arrived at the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon craft with the Crew-7 expedition on August 27, 2023.
The crew also included NASA astronaut and Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa.
Borisov is the third Russian cosmonaut to travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX rocket, after Anna Kikina and Andrey Fedyaev, who arrived at the station in October 2022 and March 2023, respectively.