Japanese scientists have developed one of the most unusual spacecraft in history with a satellite made of wood.
It was stated that the satellite called LignoSat was made of magnolia wood. In experiments conducted from the International Space Station, magnolia wood was found to be more resistant to cracking.
While preparations for the wooden satellite developed by Japanese scientists have been completed, the spacecraft is expected to be launched this summer.
Developed by Kyoto University and the logging company Sumitomo Forestry, the wooden satellite was developed with the idea of creating an environmentally friendly alternative to the satellites currently in service.
Japanese astronaut and space engineer Takao Doi said, “All satellites that return to the Earth’s atmosphere burn up and scatter tiny aluminum particles that spread into the upper layers of the atmosphere for years. Eventually, this will affect the environment.”
Scientists first conducted tests in a laboratory where space conditions were created. The wood samples used in these tests showed no deterioration or change.
Koji Murata, who led the project, said: “We were amazed that wood can withstand these conditions.”
After the laboratory tests, the wood samples were sent to the International Space Station, where they were tested for about a year. It was found that the wood samples suffered very minor damage during the tests conducted in space.
Murata said they explain this by the fact that there is no oxygen in space to cause the wood to burn and no living organisms to cause it to rot.
It was stated that several tree samples, including the sakura tree, were tried for the construction of the satellite, but the magnolia tree was decided on.
Maruta said that the satellite, which is the size of a coffee mug, will provide important data on the performance of wooden spacecraft. “One of the satellite’s tasks will be to determine how much deterioration will occur in the wooden structure. Wood is durable and strong when it moves in one direction, but it can be prone to cracking if the direction changes.”
It was stated that the satellite will stay in space for 6 months. The satellite was previously planned to be launched in 2023, but the launch was postponed due to incomplete work.
Previously, Finland-based start-up Arctic Astronautics had also developed a wooden satellite called WISA Woodsat and planned to launch it in 2021. However, the company has not yet been able to launch the satellite “due to bureaucratic obstacles”.
