The world’s first wooden satellite, made in Japan, has been launched into space.
Developed by Kyoto University and a local company, Sumitomo Forestry, the LignoSat satellite was sent to the International Space Station through a SpaceX mission and will later be deployed into orbit approximately 400 kilometers above Earth.
This palm-sized satellite’s mission is to test the use of renewable materials for space research.
Astronaut and Kyoto University member, Takao Doi, stated that by using wood, we can build homes in space, live in them, and always keep them functional.
As part of a 50-year plan to grow trees and build wooden homes on the Moon and Mars, Doi’s team decided to develop a NASA-certified satellite to prove that wood can be used as a viable material in space.
Professor Koji Murata from the university said that in the early 20th century, airplanes were made of wood. A wooden satellite should also be usable. Wood will be more durable in space than on Earth because there is no water or oxygen, meaning it won’t deteriorate or swell.
