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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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This New Paper Folding Technique Could Power the Next Generation of Satellites

In the quest to make satellites lighter, more efficient, and more versatile, engineers have often faced a major challenge: transferring energy between components in space. High-powered satellites rely on electromagnetic waveguides—structures that guide microwave energy from one part of the spacecraft to another. Traditionally, these waveguides are made of heavy, rigid metal tubes with substantial flanges at both ends, which ensure stability and connectivity. While effective on Earth, these bulky designs are far from ideal for space, where every gram counts and launch volumes are limited.

Enter the world of origami-inspired engineering. Drawing inspiration from the ancient art of paper folding, Xin Ning, a researcher at the Department of Aerospace Engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and his graduate students have developed flexible, lightweight waveguides that can fold for launch and expand once in orbit.

"Because the most common electromagnetic waveguides are rectangular-shaped, our origami designs needed to maintain a rectangular cross-section in the operational state for comparable performance," Ning explained. In essence, the team needed their foldable waveguides to perform as well as traditional metal ones while being compact enough to fit inside a rocket.

The idea sparked when Ning shared his previous work on origami structures with his former colleague, Sven Bilén, an expert in electromagnetics at Penn State University. Bilén asked whether origami could be applied to deployable electromagnetic waveguides, and from that conversation, the project was born.

From Shopping Bags to Bellows: The Design Journey

The first challenge was finding a simple folding structure that could maintain the rectangular shape needed for waveguides. Ning looked to an everyday object: the brown paper shopping bag. "The rectangular bottom portion acts like the flange," he said. Using this concept, graduate students Nikhil Ashok and Sangwoo Suk designed a foldable tube with rectangular inlets and outlets for connections, essentially creating a practical “shopping-bag” waveguide.

Building on this idea, the team developed more advanced origami structures resembling bellows—accordion-like folds that could expand and contract. The process required patience and skill. Patterns were initially printed on large sheets of paper, laminated with kitchen aluminum foil, and carefully folded. For practical use in spacecraft, these designs would eventually be 3D printed using durable materials and coated with commercial-grade materials such as Kapton and metal laminates to withstand the harsh environment of space.

The design process was deliberate. The team didn’t choose arbitrary shapes or dimensions; instead, they modeled their origami waveguides based on commercial designs to ensure direct comparisons with traditional waveguides. "With the first bellows shape, we knew we had a foldable, deployable design that could perform, but we wanted to explore more possibilities with origami principles," Ning said.

Twists, Turns, and Technical Hurdles

The team’s ambition didn’t stop at simple folds. They sought designs capable of twisting and bending at precise angles while maintaining energy efficiency. Achieving a 90-degree twist from input to output required careful simulations of distances, angles, and fold patterns.

Even with extensive planning, testing proved essential. During one trial of a twisting and bending waveguide, the model worked smoothly at first but suddenly got stuck after just a few inches of deployment. "We spent a lot of time trying to understand the mechanics and analyzing the angle and distance and deriving the equations," Ning recalled. The team discovered that when stretched to the point where the creases flattened, the force on the material could spike dramatically, risking breakage.

The solution involved carefully optimizing the number of folds. Adding more folds increased the waveguide’s length but also risked higher energy loss and structural instability. After extensive experimentation, the team determined the maximum safe distance for energy transfer and designed their waveguides accordingly.

Practical Applications Beyond Space

While the initial focus was spacecraft, the potential of origami waveguides extends far beyond orbit. These foldable structures could be used in naval systems, electrical grids, and communications networks for transferring microwave energy efficiently. The ability to deploy compact, lightweight, and flexible waveguides has the potential to revolutionize multiple industries.

The team’s work has resulted in a pending patent, marking a significant milestone in engineering innovation. Their research, published in Communications Engineering (2025) under the title Shape-morphable origami electromagnetic waveguides, highlights how interdisciplinary thinking—combining aerospace engineering, materials science, and even origami—can solve problems once thought intractable.

Why This Matters

The use of foldable waveguides in satellites could drastically reduce launch costs. Rockets charge by weight and volume, so smaller, lighter components mean more efficient missions and potentially more instruments per satellite. Additionally, the deployable design minimizes storage space while ensuring that once in orbit, the waveguides fully expand to meet operational requirements.

Moreover, the origami approach is inherently adaptable. By adjusting fold patterns, angles, and materials, engineers can create custom waveguides suited to specific missions, whether it’s for satellites, naval applications, or ground-based communication systems.

The Future of Origami Engineering

Xin Ning and his team exemplify how creativity and engineering can merge to produce groundbreaking solutions. The next steps involve moving from paper prototypes and aluminum foil laminates to robust, space-ready materials. This transition will test not only the structural integrity of the designs but also their efficiency in real-world conditions, such as exposure to vacuum, radiation, and extreme temperatures.

As space technology continues to advance, lightweight and deployable components like these origami waveguides could become standard. Their flexibility and compactness may inspire other foldable technologies, from solar panels and antennas to entire spacecraft structures.

In a broader sense, the research demonstrates the value of looking outside traditional engineering solutions. Sometimes, the answer to high-tech problems lies in age-old art forms. Origami, long considered a simple craft, now has the potential to shape the future of space exploration.

Conclusion

The development of foldable, origami-inspired electromagnetic waveguides represents a promising leap in satellite and energy-transfer technology. By blending careful engineering, creative design, and meticulous testing, Xin Ning and his team have shown that even the most rigid components—like metal waveguides—can benefit from flexibility, efficiency, and innovation.

From humble paper shopping bags to advanced deployable bellows, the journey underscores a simple truth: inspiration can come from anywhere, and in this case, it may very well be folding its way into space.

Reference:

  • Nikhil Ashok et al., Shape-morphable origami electromagnetic waveguides, Communications Engineering (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44172-025-00539-7

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