LignoSat: The First Satellite Made of Wood

A New Approach to Space Debris

Space debris remains a pressing issue. With thousands of tracked objects and millions of untracked pieces, the risk of collisions grows. While our atmosphere incinerates much of this junk, sometimes a dangerous object fragments into many. To make the disintegration process safer, researchers at Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry have developed LignoSat, a satellite that uses wood.

LignoSat: A Cube of Wood in Orbit

LignoSat is a cube with ten-centimeter sides, built using traditional joinery techniques to minimize glue and screws. It isn't entirely wooden—it replaces aluminum with magnolia wood, which was chosen from cherry and birch alternatives. Weighing over 900 grams, this small satellite will be launched in September from the Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX rocket to the Kibo module of the International Space Station. There, it will undergo tests for expansion and contraction, internal temperature, geomagnetism, and electronic performance.

The data collected will inform the development of LignoSat-2. Wood not only promises a cleaner and more sustainable disintegration but also doesn't block electromagnetic waves, potentially allowing antennas to be placed inside the satellite.

Sources

• Japan Times
• Gizmodo