Japanese researchers said on Tuesday that they have successfully constructed the world’s first wooden satellite, with the tiny cube-shaped object expected to be sent into space aboard a SpaceX rocket launched from the United States, possibly in September.
According to Kyodo News, “LignoSat,” a blend of the words ligno, a prefix meaning wood, and satellite, is the outcome of about four years of development efforts by a team involving Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry Co., to harness the environmental friendliness and low cost of wood in space development.
According to the team, wooden satellites are better for the environment when burning up upon reentering the Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their operation compared to conventional satellites made of metals, as they can create alumina particles, which may adversely affect weather and communications.
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The latest development is “an extremely valuable step for both the space and wood industries,” Kyoto University and the Tokyo-based wood products company said in their joint press release, noting that it will help “open up the possibilities of the use of wood, which is a sustainable resource.”
LignoSat is a 10-centimetre cube made from 4 to 5.5 millimetre-thick magnolia wood panels, with a frame partially constructed from aluminum. It has solar panels affixed to some sides and weighs roughly 1 kilogram.
It is built based on a traditional Japanese technique that does not use any screws or adhesive materials.
The team said it has confirmed the durability of the wooden material even in the harsh environment of outer space.