In an unparalleled leap for space exploration and sustainability, Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully launched the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, into Earth’s orbit.
LignoSat is the world’s first wooden satellite. It will study how wood reacts upon exposure to the space environment, how wood transmits data through geomagnetic fields, and how wood’s resistance to cosmic radiation.
LignoSat was launched to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX-31 Dragon Cargo Vehicle. It was deployed using the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-30 (J-SSOD-30) with help from the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS).
The satellite is an experiment initiated in connection with several other satellite tests. It was placed into orbit from the Space Station along with four other CubeSats. If this mission succeeds, it could usher in the age of using more sustainable materials in building satellites instead of metals and plastics.
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The LignoSat is built of honoki magnolia wood, which was chosen for its durability and ability to withstand heat and environmental stresses. The satellite is 10 cm, assembled using time-honored Japanese woodworking that is famed for its strength and flexibility, two key attributes needed in space.
LignoSat is provided with sensors to monitor the stress exerted on the timber and its reaction toward conditions in space. The sensors are expected to ascertain the spacecraft’s structural integrity while measuring temperature, radiation, and other environmental variables about space.
With increasing space missions, the need for an environmentally conscious approach will intensify. Conventional satellite materials mostly come from rare metals and synthetics, which add to the trash and pollution created by humans. By pioneering research into wood as a candidate for space technology, JAXA hopes to lessen the ecological mark of any future space missions.
