World’s First Wooden Satellite

February 22, 2024

Japanese scientists have developed one of the world’s most unique spacecraft- a wooden satellite.
The LignoSat probe is made of magnolia wood, which has been shown in studies on the International Space Station (ISS) to be highly robust and crack-resistant.
Plans are currently being finished for its launch on a US rocket.
The satellite is being developed in an effort to test the viability of using biodegradable materials, like wood, as environmentally friendly substitutes for the metals that are currently used to construct all satellites.
One of the missions of the satellite is to measure the deformation of the wooden structure in space.
It has been built by researchers from Kyoto University and the logging company Sumitomo Forestry.
The probe, which is about the size of a coffee cup, is anticipated to stay in orbit for at least six months before being permitted to enter the upper atmosphere.
LignoSat will only emit a fine spray of biodegradable ash when it burns up and re-enters the atmosphere after finishing its mission.