Japanese scientists Bet on an Ancient Material: Wood, for their New Satellite
Posted on Nov 11, 2024 at 09:11 PM
In a preliminary test of the use of wood in lunar and Mars exploration, Japanese researchers launched the world's first wooden satellite into space on Tuesday, November 5.
LignoSat, created by Sumitomo Forestry (1911.T), a homebuilder and academic at Kyoto University, will be sent into orbit around 400 kilometres (250 miles) above Earth after being transported to the ISS on a SpaceX mission.
Timber: The Future of Space Construction
As humans investigate space life, the palm-sized LignoSat—named after the Latin word for “wood”—is entrusted with showcasing the renewable material's cosmic possibilities.
Takao Doi, an astronaut who has flown on the Space Shuttle and researches human space activities at Kyoto University, believes that using timber as a space-grade material could enable permanent housing, living, and work in space.
Besides, his team created a NASA-certified wooden satellite to demonstrate this, to grow trees and build timber dwellings on the moon and Mars in 50 years.
According to Koji Murata, a professor of forest science at Kyoto University, “Early 1900s aeroplanes were made of wood. A wooden satellite should be feasible, too.”
A wooden satellite also lessens the environmental effect at the end of its life, the researchers say. Wood is more durable in space than on Earth because there's no water or oxygen that would rot or inflame it, Murata noted.
Moreover, re-entering the atmosphere is necessary for decommissioned spacecraft to prevent becoming space trash. Wooden satellites simply burn up with less pollution than conventional metal ones, which produce aluminium oxide particles after re-entry, according to Doi.
“Metal satellites might be banned in the future,” Doi stated. “If we can prove our first wooden satellite works, we want to pitch it to Elon Musk's SpaceX.”
LignoSat: A Pioneering Wooden Satellite
After a 10-month trial onboard the International Space Station, the researchers concluded that honoki, a kind of magnolia tree endemic to Japan and usually used for sword sheaths, is most suitable for spaceships.
LignoSat, a Japanese spacecraft, is made from honoki, a traditional craft without glue or screws. After launch, it will remain in orbit for six months, observing its electrical components' ability to withstand harsh conditions in space.
Additionally, LignoSat will measure wood's capacity to lessen the effects of space radiation on semiconductors, which makes it valuable for uses like building data centres, according to Kenji Kariya, a manager at Sumitomo Forestry Tsukuba Research Institute.
Mr. Murata acknowledges that in a climate with temperatures ranging from 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 °C) to minus 148 degrees every hour, solar panels may cease functioning and batteries may overheat or freeze.
However, he expressed confidence in the group's plans for larger wooden satellites, citing previous experiments proving timber doesn't decompose in space and aiming to expand beyond Earth's orbit.
He remarked, “I am hoping to grow wood on Mars. I used to think it was impossible to send anything made of wood to space.”
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