Innovative Space Endeavor: Wooden Satellite Successfully Launched
November 8, 2024
Japanese researchers have achieved a significant milestone in sustainable space technology by launching LignoSat, the world’s first satellite constructed from wood, utilizing a SpaceX rocket.
Photo Credit: Takao Doi / Reuters
This innovative satellite forms part of a mission to supply the International Space Station (ISS), with plans to release it into orbit the following month. The project, a collaboration between Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, signifies a breakthrough in eco-friendly space exploration.
The mission of LignoSat is to evaluate the potential of wood as a suitable material for use in space.
Scheduled to orbit the planet for half a year, the satellite will be subjected to the rigorous conditions of space, allowing scientists to assess its resilience and structural integrity.
Wood is unexpectedly robust in a vacuum, where the absence of both oxygen and moisture could make it an excellent alternative to metal in satellite construction. Traditional metal satellites commonly contribute to metal pollution upon re-entry, whereas LignoSat’s design ensures it will disintegrate without causing environmental harm.
Japanese scientists launched the LignoSat, the world’s first wooden satellite into space. It’ll stay in orbit for six months in an attempt to prove wood is a space-grade material
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November 5, 2024
Professor Koji Murata, from Kyoto University’s forest science department, emphasized that wood’s natural resilience in the absence of oxygen could present a viable and environmentally friendly option for spacecraft construction, reducing atmospheric pollution upon re-entry.
The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) ensured the satellite was securely placed in a specialized container before its journey, which was reported as “successful” by Sumitomo Forestry’s spokesperson. LignoSat is expected at the ISS shortly, followed by its deployment into space.
