Japan to Launch World's First Wooden Satellite

Japanese scientists have developed one of the world's most unusual spacecraft, a small satellite made entirely of wood, according to "The Observer".

The "LignoSat" probe, constructed from magnolia wood, was found to be particularly stable and resistant to cracking in tests conducted at the International Space Station (ISS).

Final preparations are now underway for its launch on an American rocket this summer.

The wooden satellite, built by researchers at Kyoto University and the logging company Sumitomo Forestry, aims to test the feasibility of using biodegradable materials like wood as eco-friendly alternatives to the metals currently used in all satellites.

Takao Doi, a Japanese astronaut and aerospace engineer at Kyoto University, recently highlighted the environmental issue that all satellites re-entering Earth's atmosphere burn up, releasing tiny alumina particles that can linger in the upper atmosphere for years, potentially affecting Earth's environment.

To address this concern, Kyoto researchers initiated a project to evaluate different types of wood for their resilience to the harsh conditions of space launch and prolonged Earth orbit.

Initial tests in laboratories simulating space conditions showed that wood samples underwent no measurable changes in mass, decay, or damage.

Project leader Koji Murata expressed astonishment at wood's ability to withstand such conditions. Following these tests, samples were sent to the International Space Station, where they underwent nearly a year of exposure experiments before being returned to Earth.

Remarkably, the samples showed only minor signs of damage, a phenomenon Murata attributes to the absence of oxygen in space, which would otherwise cause the wood to burn, and the lack of living organisms that could lead to rot.