Wooden satellite will pave the way for more sustainable space exploration
Kyoto University and the Japanese logging company Sumitomo Forestry have jointly developed an experimental satellite, LignoSat, which is scheduled to be launched on the ISS in September of this year.
LignoSat is a small cubesat with a side of 10 centimeters and a weight of about 0.9 kilograms. It is made using traditional Japanese woodworking methods, without the use of screws or glue. The outer part of the satellite is equipped with solar panels.
Typically made from aluminum, the satellite's components are made from magnolia wood sourced from Sumitomo Forestry. Magnolia was chosen for this purpose because of its strength and ease of workability, which has been confirmed by space tests using cherry, birch and magnolia wood.
A month after arriving at the ISS, the satellite will be launched into orbit from the Japanese Kibo module. Mission engineers will monitor its condition in space conditions, collecting data on the expansion, contraction and decay of wood, as well as internal temperature and the operation of electronic equipment.
The successful launch of LignoSat will open new opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of regular satellite launches: traditional satellites can leave harmful metal particles when burned in the atmosphere.
«Increasing the use of wood as a renewable resource is of great importance. In the future, we plan to create habitable environments in space using wood, for example on the Moon and Mars», — Takao Doi, an astronaut and professor at Kyoto University, told the Japan Times.
Development of LignoSat began in April 2020, and ground tests to confirm the functionality and safety of launching the satellite into space were completed in September.