Japanese researchers have just sent the world’s first wooden satellite into space, CNN reports. LignoSat, named after the Latin word for “tree,” was developed by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry. It was part of the SpaceX mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and will soon be launched into orbit above the Earth.
There are two main reasons for doing this. First, it will test the durability of wood in the harsh conditions of space. If successful, the researchers plan to produce more wooden structures and send them into space.
“With wood, a material we can produce on our own, we will be able to build houses, live and work in space forever,” said Takao Doi, an astronaut at Kyoto University. This is the first step in a 50-year plan that includes planting trees and building real wooden houses on the Moon and even on Mars.
“In the early 1900s, airplanes were made of wood,” says Koji Murata, a professor of forestry at Kyoto University. “A wooden satellite should also be possible.”
For those who disagree with the idea of using wooden structures in space, let’s look at some of the advantages. The material should be more durable in space than on Earth, because there is no water or oxygen in the boundless void. There is nothing there that can cause decay, and it is very difficult for it to catch fire. It even has pretty good radiation protection.
Another reason has to do with all those satellites in orbit. The planet is currently surrounded by more than 3,000 satellites, not to mention all the space junk associated with it. Wooden satellites will eventually fall to Earth and burn up as they enter the atmosphere.
Metal satellites (for the most part) will burn up on their way back, but not before they produce harmful aluminum oxide particles. We don’t have a plan for the ever-increasing amount of space junk that is littering the planet, so this could help. Doye envisions a scenario in which “metal satellites could be banned in the future.”
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