That's actually pretty interesting. If he tested it outside, it wouldn't work for sure. Inside space station, it wasn't clear what affects boomerang return -- just air or air Earth's gravity.
Now it seems that only air resistance is enough for boomerang to return.
I don't know if there are any real studies on physics of boomerang?

... I didn't know the mechanics were up for debate. I originally assumed this was going to be "IN SPACE" not "inside the space station IN SPACE."

How can he throw inside the space station, its just too cramped.

obviously it won't work "in space" outside.
I searched youtube, but no videos available yet :(
I'd like to see it too!

I am anxious to see this video, since logic would dictate that the boomerang would climb towards the ceiling of the station during its "round-trip" due to the lack of gravity.

Yup DGBEACH, that's what I think would happen too. It would curve upward in a half spiral as it returned.

Boomerangs are usually thrown from a nearly vertical position. Upwards lift is minimal, and on Earth only enough to counter the ballistic trajectory. (If they're thrown correctly). The real trick is finding a small enough boomerang to return inside the station, without smacking something vital along the walls.

This is what I know of boomerangs. First they are hunting weapons used in Australia. Secondly when you hunt animals, you must be downwind from them or they smell you and will flee. Thirdly because you are downwind of them, you will throw the boomerang against the wind. If it does not hit the animal you are after, it will come back, aided by the wind and gravity, I presume. In space or in spacecraft there probably is not much wind nor gravity, so I may have misunderstood something. Can somebody tell a better reason for return of boomerang?

--Petri

Would you believe a long rubber band?

What would happen if he just spinned it in place about the axis normal to the plane of rotation?

(I believe I don't have to specify which plane of rotation I am refering to because there only is 1 true plane of rotation for boomerangs. All the other plan'te's are just imi'tat'es)

Just probably the trajectory was deflected by airflows from vents.

This pretty much explains the physics behind a boomerang's flight path:

http://plus.maths...dex.html