Japanese scientists launched the world’s first wooden satellite into space, which was an initial test of the use of wood for exploring the Moon and Mars.
LignoSat, developed by Kyoto University in cooperation with Sumitomo Forestry, will be sent to the International Space Station as part of a SpaceX mission, from where it will be subsequently launched into orbit about 400 km above the Earth.
«By using wood — a material we can produce on our own — we will be able to build houses, live and work in space indefinitely», — said Takao Doi, an astronaut, engineer and veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions who researches human space activities at Kyoto University.
With a 50-year plan to plant trees and build wooden houses on the Moon and Mars, Doi’s team decided to develop a NASA-certified wooden satellite to prove wood’s suitability for space.
«In the early 1900s, airplanes were made of wood», — recalled Koji Murata, a professor of forestry at Kyoto University. «So a wooden satellite should also be possible». Murata added that wood is more durable in space than on Earth because there is no water or oxygen that could lead to rotting or fire.
The researchers claim that the wooden satellite also minimizes the environmental impact after the end of its service life. «Decommissioned» Satellites must re-enter the atmosphere to avoid becoming space junk. Traditional metal satellites produce aluminum oxide particles when they re-enter the atmosphere, while wooden satellites will simply burn up with less pollution, Doi explained.
«Metal satellites may be banned in the future,» Doi said. «If we prove that our first wooden satellite works, we want to pitch this idea to Elon Musk’s SpaceX».
After a 10-month experiment on the ISS, researchers found that honoki — a type of magnolia that grows in Japan and is traditionally used for sword sheaths — is best suited for spacecraft. LignoSat is made of honoki using traditional Japanese techniques without the use of screws or glue.
Once deployed, LignoSat will remain in orbit for six months. Electronic components on board will measure how the wood withstands the extreme conditions of space, where temperatures fluctuate from -100 to +100 degrees Celsius every 45 minutes during the transition from darkness to sunlight.
LignoSat will also evaluate the ability of wood to reduce the effects of space radiation on semiconductors, which could be useful for applications such as data center construction.
Source: Reuters
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