Japan just sent the first-ever wooden satellite into space. The cube-satellite Lignosat was launched into the sky on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday and arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) the next day on the Dragon supply ship. The satellite will remain in orbit for about six months after being released from the ISS later this year.
The CubeSat was developed by Kyoto University scientists in collaboration with homebuilding company Sumitomo Forestry, and measures just four inches (about 10 centimeters) on each side. It is made from the Japanese magnolia tree, which is native to Japan, and is built using traditional Japanese techniques without the use of screws or glue.
Wooden Satellites for Sustainability
This mission aims to test the effectiveness of using wooden materials in satellites to reduce space debris and protect the environment. When satellites in low Earth orbit are decommissioned, operators try to dispose of them by burning them in the Earth’s atmosphere. However, large metal objects do not always disintegrate completely; in some cases, metal chunks can fall to the Earth’s surface. Even small metal particles can be emitted into the environment.
Sensors on board LignoSat will transmit data that will help scientists determine how well wooden satellites can cope with the harsh conditions of space, including large temperature fluctuations.
Digital Trends first reported on the wooden satellite plans four years ago. Takao Doi, a former Japanese astronaut and Kyoto University professor who visited the ISS, told the BBC at the time that he was “very concerned that a satellite will burn up upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere and produce tiny aluminum particles.”
In a recent talk, Doi said that if the wooden satellite design proves to be a viable alternative to metal satellites, the Lignosat development team would like to propose it to SpaceX.
