Updated November 9, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
LignoStat, the world’s first wooden satellite, was launched on November 5.
Barely larger than the palm of a hand, LignoStat could open a new path in the field of space engineering. Developed by researchers at Kyoto University in collaboration with NASA, the small satellite will first be transported to the International Space Station before being released into orbit, approximately 400 kilometers above Earth.
The small satellite took off aboard a SpaceX rocket on November 5, 2024.
Towards more environmentally friendly space exploration?
Researchers would like to demonstrate the potential that wood represents for space exploration. The material would be more resistant in space since without water or oxygen, the risks of rot and fire disappear.
The use of wood would also reduce the environmental impact of satellites at the end of their life. Once “decommissioned,” satellites must return to the atmosphere to avoid drifting into space and becoming debris. However, a wooden satellite would burn without producing toxic residues whereas conventional metal satellites release aluminum oxide particles.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo believe that with a material like wood, we would be able to build homes, live and work in space.
A resistant wood
The satellite was made from honoki wood, a species of magnolia native to Japan. This was the subject of a study for 10 months on the International Space Station and proved to be well adapted to the space environment.
