Japan recorded a new historical milestone when it launched its first wooden satellite, named LignoSat. The cubesat is the miniature version of the satellite, 30 cm by each side in dimension, and does not weigh more than 1.5 kg, but measures 10 cm cubic.
It entered orbit aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. And, one day later, the LignoSat finally arrived at the International Space Station. It is expected to orbit Earth for six months before it is deployed for full testing later this year.
Unique Honoki-Wood Satellite
Developed from the collaboration between Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, the LignoSat satellite is truly one of its kind because of its form. Being 4 inches (10 centimeters) on every side, each side is honoki or Japanese magnolia, according to Gadgets 360.
What's more amusing is that it's built without a single screw or glue to hold together its parts, this cube was constructed following traditional techniques found in Japanese culture. Hence, LignoSat is indeed an environmentally friendly satellite.
Eco-friendly Approach to Waste Management in Space
LignoSat is mostly driven by the increasing issue of space debris. Today, the satellite is tested to be burnt in the Earth's atmosphere once it has been decommissioned. However, metal parts may not get fully destroyed.
Sometimes, pieces of metal might hit the Earth's surface. Moreover, minute metallic dust particles in the air cause long-term environmental pollution.
The LignoSat mission is hoping to tell whether wooden satellites could conceivably be a possible satellite. A wood satellite design would burn up fully and leave very little rubbish behind, as opposed to metal debris that lingers for thousands of years.
Success in this mission would pave the way for additional satellite designs that are not as environmentally harmful as regular satellite designs in space research.
Testing the Strength of the Wood Against Space Environmental Conditions
LignoSat is equipped with special sensors; it will gather data on how well it withstands extreme space conditions. These include extreme variations in temperature, heavy doses of radiation, and even exposition to microgravity conditions.
The information gathered will serve as crucial in determining how wood can effectively survive conditions against the space environment, thus qualifying as satellite materials.
According to Digital Trends, the project has been a pursuit of earlier plans four years ago. Takao Doi is a professor at Kyoto University and was earlier a Japanese astronaut who criticized conventional satellites for environmental impacts.
"With timber, a material we can produce by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live and work in space forever," Doi said.
For instance, his concern has been on how alumina particles that were produced from metal satellites entering the earth's atmosphere cause damage when they persist in the atmospheric environment for years, threatening health and environmental implications.
More Wooden Satellites Might Come in the Future
If the LignoSat mission succeeds, Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry will promote wooden satellite designs to the world's leading space companies, one of which is SpaceX. The team views this as innovative and one that can eventually change how we think of building satellites.
