Japan launches the first satellite in history composed of this unexpected material that you are more used to finding in your flooring

Japan launches the first wooden satellite, an innovation for lunar and Martian exploration.

Who said the sky is reserved for metal? Japanese researchers recently launched the first satellite in history made of a much more surprising material than one would readily expect to find on a galleon: the woodmarking a potential turning point in how we think about building in space. Baptized LignoSatthis satellite like no other took off towards the International Space Station thanks to a SpaceX mission, paving the way for unprecedented tests on the use of wood in space.

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A small wooden satellite with big ambitions

Jointly developed by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, a home builder, LignoSat measures the size of a palm and is made primarily from honoki, a variety of magnolia indigenous to Japan and traditionally used for sword scabbards. This choice of material is not trivial: wood is envisaged as a renewable and potentially autonomous material for construction on celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars.

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Japanese innovation in space wood

According to Takao Doi, an astronaut and professor at Kyoto University, wood offers significant benefits for sustainability in space. It holds up best in the vacuum of space, where the absence of water and oxygen eliminates the risk of decay or inflammation. In addition, the LignoSat satellite, built without screws or glue but using Japanese artisanal techniques, is a test to evaluate how this material can endure the extreme environments of space.

Scientific and ecological objectives of LignoSat

The satellite will test the durability of wood in extreme space conditions, with temperature variations ranging from -100 to 100 degrees Celsius every 45 minutes. It will also be used to study the effectiveness of wood in reducing the impact of space radiation on electronic components, crucial data for future applications such as the construction of space data centers. The choice of this material could revolutionize the management of space waste, since unlike metal satellites, wood burns completely during atmospheric reentry without polluting.

A new era for the wood industry

The integration of wood into space technologies not only represents a scientific advance; it also promises to revitalize the timber industry. As Kenji Kariya, manager at Sumitomo Forestry Tsukuba Research Institute, explains, although traditional, wood is now positioned at the cutting edge of space technology. This initiative could open up new perspectives for the use of wood, particularly in future space colonies.

The prospect of interplanetary expansion

The LignoSat experiment could directly influence future missions to the Moon and Mars, in particular by proving that wooden habitats are possible in space. Doi's team's 50-year vision envisions planted forests and wood-built habitats on these celestial bodies, an ambitious project that radically rethinks our approach to life in space.

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This article explores Japanese innovation with the launch of LignoSat, the first wooden satellite. This development opens new perspectives for the sustainable use of materials in space and could significantly influence future colonization projects on the Moon and Mars. By testing the properties of wood under extreme conditions, Japanese researchers are not only pushing the boundaries of science; they revisit our relationship with traditional materials in a futuristic context.

Source : Reuters

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