Re-entry
We've just seen a video of ISS crew jettisoning a 55Kg package of garbage to ostensibly burn up on re-entry and it got me thinking, must every lightweight body burn up?
I understand that an object of some mass will take punishment from the energy conentrated on a small point as it decelerates, but what of a large area item of minimal mass like a crisp packet or a piece of tissue paper? Isn't there a point beyond which something with so little mass and such large area ( & thus drag) will be slowed below a velocity that will burn it and so it just floats down?