Ten centimeters on each side
Called LignoSat and whose appearance is that of a wooden cube only 10 centimeters on a side, the experimental satellite was launched aboard an unmanned rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, said the Kyoto University Space Studies Center.
The choice of material is based on the objective of anticipating its inevitable end of life: when it eventually re-enters the atmosphere, the wood should burn without generating the usual metal particles associated with satellites falling back to Earth, according to scientists. from Kyoto. Enough to avoid potential collisions between space debris and satellites in orbit.
Indeed, the French Center for Space Studies estimates that there are around 34,000 objects larger than 10 cm in orbit, of which 9,000 are active satellites. The number of space debris larger than 1 mm is estimated at around 128 million.
Pollution of the atmosphere by space debris was one of the salient themes of the 2021 Paris Peace Forum, as public and private actors commit to being more sustainable. In passing, let us recall the existence of the Vaud start-up, ClearSpace, which will launch its first mission in 2026 aimed at eliminating space debris.
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“Successful” launch
Installed in a special container prepared by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, “flew into space safely”, the latter indicated in a message on X.
A spokesperson for LignoSat co-developer Sumitomo Forestry confirmed to AFP that the launch had been “successful”: the satellite “will soon arrive at the ISS and will be sent into space about a month later ” in order to test its strength and durability, she said.
Data will be sent from the satellite to researchers, who can check for signs of deformation and determine whether it can withstand extreme temperature changes. During a press conference at the beginning of the year, Takao Doi, astronaut and professor at Kyoto University, estimated that “satellites that are not made of metal should become widespread”.
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