For the first time, a wooden satellite is put into Earth orbit. The experiment aims to verify whether wood is a raw material that can be used in space and possibly also on the Moon or Mars.
The LignoSat was launched last Tuesday using a SpaceX shuttle and is now on its way to the ISS. Subsequently, the satellite will be placed in an orbit 400 kilometers around the Earth.
The machine is the result of joint work by Kyoto University and the construction company Sumitomo Forestry. The partners seek to verify how wood behaves in space and say they are confident in the potential of their research.
Indeed, there is neither water nor oxygen in space, which makes rotting or igniting more difficult. In addition, wooden constructions generate less waste in space. And if the satellite were to fall back to Earth, it would largely burn up on contact with the atmosphere. If the tests are a success, scientists also plan to consider the use of wood, particularly in the construction of homes on the Moon or Mars.
LignoSat is planned to remain in orbit around the Earth for six months. The satellite notably integrates electronic components intended primarily to measure to what extent the conditions are extreme. Reuters notes that temperatures range from one hundred to minus one hundred degrees Celsius and that these temperatures change every 45 minutes depending on whether or not the satellite is in the Sun’s light.
Related News :