LignoSat: First satellite made of wood released into space
A satellite made of wood has been orbiting the earth since December. Instruments are to determine how suitable the building material is for use in space travel.
The LignoSat was released into space with two other CubeSats
(Image: NASA/Butch Wilmore)
The first satellite made of wood is now orbiting the earth in space. This was made public by the US space agency NASA, and the LignoSat was launched from the International Space Station (ISS) back in December. Sensors on board the Japanese-built device will measure how the building material reacts to the extreme temperatures and radiation in space. Those responsible also want to determine what stress the device is exposed to there. They will also monitor whether the geomagnetic field can penetrate the wooden structure and interfere with the built-in technology. The aim is also to find out whether and to what extent wood can be used as a renewable building material for satellites in the future.
(Image:Â Kyoto University)
Wooden habitats in space as a long-term goal
The LignoSat is a so-called CubeSat with dimensions of 10 Ă— 10 Ă— 10 cm and was brought to the ISS in the fall. Development began in spring 2020, after which tests were carried out to ensure that the LignoSat posed no danger to the ISS crew or its instruments. According to those responsible, the aim of the project is to replace metal satellites. To this end, the Kyoto University research group has collaborated with the Japanese forestry group Sumitomo Forestry. Together, they want to expand the potential of wood as a renewable resource and one day build wooden habitats in space, on the moon and even on Mars.
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The wooden satellite from Japan has now beaten a competitor from Finland to the punch. The "Wisa Woodsaat" is supposedly long since finished, but is still waiting to be launched. These projects can also be used to determine whether it will soon be possible to build satellites that are free of harmful residues when they re-enter the atmosphere. The main issue here is the contamination of the atmosphere with harmful aluminum particles, which are likely to affect the environment at some point. In addition, more sensitive components such as antennas can be moved into the protected interior of wooden satellites without making them inaccessible to electromagnetic waves. This enables simpler structures.
(mho)
