A team of Japanese researchers is about to launch the world’s first wood-based satellite, which will mark a significant advancement in space technology.
The logging company Sumitomo Forestry, located in Tokyo, and scientists at Kyoto University collaborated to create the experimental wooden satellite known as LignoSat. The satellite is slated to launch in September, flying along with a SpaceX rocket that is taking out from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre. It will be launched from Japan’s Kibo module on board the International Space Station (ISS) to evaluate its durability in the harsh space environment.
LignoSat is a small cube that weighs slightly more than two pounds and has four inches on each side. After almost four years of development, magnolia wood was selected for the satellite’s main construction because of its long durability. LignoSat aimed to develop a low-cost spacecraft that would lessen the problem of orbital debris. In contrast with traditional satellites, which are usually composed of metal and may release hazardous materials or contribute to space debris upon reentry, a wooden satellite would entirely burn away in the Earth’s atmosphere and leave no trace.
Wood is also transparent to electromagnetic waves, which means the satellite can house the antennas internally instead of externally. This capability could improve the satellite’s functionality and simplify its design.
The scientists are not new to working with wood in space. In March 2022, they experimented outside the International Space Station (ISS), exposing three different types of wood to the space environment. After ten months, they saw that the magnolia which was shown to be the most durable wood remained unharmed by solar particles and cosmic rays. This discovery solidified Magnolia’s position as the preferred material for LignoSat construction.
Looking ahead, the LignoSat team envisions broader applications for wood in space construction. “Expanding the potential of wood as a sustainable resource is significant,” stated Takao Doi, a professor and astronaut at Kyoto University, during a press conference. “We aim to build human habitats using wood in space, such as on the Moon and Mars, in the future.”