Boomerangs in space
On a recent visit to the International Space Station, Japanese astronaut Takao Doi brought paper boomerangs with him. They were given to him by world boomerang champion Yashuhiro Togai, who wondered whether the flying objects would work in low gravity. Turns out they worked perfectly. The Japan Aereospace Exploration Agency just posted the video.Link to video, Link to more info at New Scientist
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Neat!
Okay, but the real question is, do they work in *space*? :)
Also ... I thought there were laws against weaponizing space? :)
Of course they work! Wouldn't do to well in a vacuum. I would'nt take one on a spacewalk. You know, for protection against space pirates.
This particular boomerang works simply because the lift is generated on one side more than the other, and the differential and stability is maintained by its gyroscopic properties. I'm pretty sure that there are some types of boomerangs that rely on a stall to return. In that case, in a zero-g environment (not to be confused with "space"), I don't believe the boomerang would work.
It looks like although it is returning to the astronaut, it is not doing so the same way a boomerang would on earth, but rather the way any object that creates lift while moving through the air would in space. That is to say, it is doing a loop-de-loop rather than a turn to the right or left. Its similar to that space video of the wind-up toy bird.
Title typo, yo! It's spelled "space." Cheers.
Just pretend a mighty throw in slow motion, while you launch several diving to the floor. Now THAT would be cool.
You need: long, luxuriant hair, and a heavy black leather jacket. Inscrutable face in the meantime. Oh yeah. The floor is where less panels and doohickeys are and the ceiling is opposite, so's you hafta make it look natural at the same time.
If you threw it on a spacewalk, at just the right angle, it would still come back to you.
...as soon as it finished orbiting the Earth.
Now, your opponent would be extremely calm with software-like evasive backflip maneouvres and every last star, though it might miss, return to their masterful wielder.
That's how to make space fun.
I'd like to pose the question I asked on BB Gadgets, where this was first posted:
"It's a cool video, but is that 3-bladed thing a real boomerang? Would an actual authentic Australian person use it? I've seen these things before, but I thought a true boomerang was a sort-of L-shaped piece of wood.
Heck even a Frisbee will come back to you if you throw it right. But I don't think that makes it a boomerang. Just askin' :)"