SpaceX launched a wooden cube that could change the future of satellites: here's how

Let it be said: even in space, it's time to go green! With this in mind, researchers propelled Lignosat, a small wooden satellite, to the ISS to test its resistance to the extreme conditions of space. The objective: to pave the way for eco-friendly satellites! Unlike traditional metal satellites, this material would burn cleanly upon re-entry into the atmosphere, without producing the usual polluting particles.

The very first satellite in boisbois of the world took off aboard a rocketrocket SpaceXSpaceXits Japanese designers announced today, as part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISSISS). The experimental satellite, called LignoSat and whose appearance is that of a wooden cube only 10 centimeters on a side, was launched aboard an unmanned rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, said the Space Studies Center of Kyoto University.

The objective of the material is to anticipate its inevitable end of life: when it eventually returns and re-enters the atmosphere, the wood should burn without generating the usual metallic particles associated with satellites falling back to Earth, according to scientists from Kyoto. These particles can have a negative impact on the environment, but also on telecommunications, according to them.

Testing the strength and durability of wood in space

The wooden satellite, installed in a special container prepared by Jaxa, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, “ flew into space safely », indicated the latter in a message on porteporte– 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 to test its solidity and its sustainability, 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. “ Satellites that are not made of metal are expected to become more widespread », Estimated Takao Doi, astronaut and professor at Kyoto University, during a press conference at the start of the year.