oops. STS-72 and bug wings again..

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Kent J. Trelling - 23 Mar 2005 04:17 GMT

STS-72 ripped the "bug" wings off Japanese research satellite Space
Flyer Unit (SFU). The wings used origami folds found in nature in
insect wing folds and leaf buds. The interesting catch to the story is
that the Tokyo U. scientists who developed the fold didn't know it
already existed in nature. Harvard U. scientists have just published a
study showing how this self-organizing origami comes about.
http://glikglik.blogspot.com/2005/03/ori-ganization-men.html

Reply to this Message

Jim Oberg - 23 Mar 2005 14:46 GMT

"Kent J. Trelling" <sawlake-kenttrelling@yahoo.com> wrote

> STS-72 ripped the "bug" wings off Japanese research satellite Space
> Flyer Unit (SFU).

I'm thick this morning. I recall that STS-72 chased down and retrieved
a Japanese-launched science satellite named SFU, and then had to fold the
wings
up to allow its stowage in the PLB -- but then what? What's the origami
connection?

See http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-72/mission-sts-72.html
for overview.

Reply to this Message

Space Forum / Shuttle / March 2005

oops. STS-72 and bug wings again..