World’s First Wooden Satellite Launched into Space

The LignoSat cubesat, crafted by Kyoto University scientists in collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry, was sent into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday. Arriving at the International Space Station (ISS) the following day aboard a Dragon supply ship, the wooden satellite will remain there for about six months before deployment later this year.

World’s First Wooden Satellite Launched into Space. Photo: tasnimnews.com

Each side of the LignoSat measures around 4 inches (10 centimeters) and is constructed from honoki wood, a type of magnolia tree native to Japan. The satellite was built using traditional Japanese techniques that avoid screws or glue, emphasizing both durability and environmental friendliness.

This mission aims to explore the feasibility of wooden materials for satellite construction as a potential solution to mitigate space junk.

Decommissioned satellites in low-Earth orbit are typically burned up in the atmosphere, but metallic satellites do not always disintegrate entirely, sometimes leaving metal fragments that can reach Earth’s surface and contribute to environmental pollution.

Equipped with sensors, LignoSat will transmit data on its resilience against the harsh conditions of space, such as extreme temperature fluctuations, helping scientists assess the material’s viability.

The concept of a wooden satellite was initially reported by Digital Trends four years ago. At the time, Takao Doi, a professor at Kyoto University and former Japanese astronaut, voiced his concern to the BBC, saying, “We’re very concerned with the fact that all the satellites which re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn and create tiny alumina particles which will float in the upper atmosphere for many years.”

Doi has indicated that if LignoSat proves successful, the team intends to propose the wooden satellite design as an eco-friendly alternative to SpaceX for future missions. (Tasnim News Agency)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers tap access to battery-less desalination of more groundwater than ever before

Researchers showed, for the first time, the possibility of water desalination without necessarily installing a large battery on site or connecting the water desalination system to the power grid.

The cost of solar power: how low can we go?

Professor Sam Stranks is developing next-generation solar cell technology, which could drive down renewable energy prices even further.

Nanoscale method boosts materials for advanced memory storage

Next-generation technologies, such as leading-edge memory storage solutions and brain-inspired neuromorphic computing systems, could touch nearly every aspect of our lives — from the gadgets we use daily to the solutions for major global challenges.

Charred Coffee Grounds Could Strengthen Concrete by 30%

Researchers in Australia have discovered that adding processed charred coffee grounds to concrete can make it 30% stronger, offering a potential solution to both construction and waste management challenges.

Groundbreaking technique makes skin transparent

Using common food dye, researchers make skin, muscle safely and reversibly transparent.

Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough

A team led by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory identified and successfully demonstrated a new method to process a plant-based material called nanocellulose that reduced energy needs by a whopping 21%.