LignoSat, the world’s first wooden satellite, was successfully launched into space on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, marking a new milestone in the application of renewable materials for future space missions.

The satellite was developed by Kyoto University in collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry.

This innovative satellite aims to test the viability of wood for possible lunar and Martian missions.

LignoSat will be transported to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX mission, where it will be launched into orbit about 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) above Earth.

The satellite, palm-sized and named after the Latin word for “wood,” is designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of wood as a sustainable building material for future human habitation in space.

Takao Doi, an astronaut and researcher at Kyoto University, highlighted the importance of this mission, saying: “With wood, a material we can produce ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live and work in space forever.”

Proven potential

The concept of using wood in aerospace applications is not entirely new. As Professor Koji Murata, a forest science expert at Kyoto University, noted: “Airplanes in the early 1900s were made of wood. A wooden satellite should also be feasible.

• He explained that wood could outperform conventional materials in space because it is less prone to damage from the harsh conditions that exist beyond Earth.
• Murata then explained the benefits of using wood in space, explaining: “Wood is more durable in space than on Earth because there is no water or oxygen that could rot it or ignite it. »
• This unique property could help ensure that wooden satellites last longer in orbit. Additionally, the environmental benefits of using a wooden satellite are significant.
• As Doi pointed out, “satellites made of conventional metals create aluminum oxide particles upon re-entry, but those made of wood would simply burn up with less pollution.”
• This reduction in pollution during the decommissioning process highlights the potential of wooden satellites to alleviate the space debris problem.

The launch of LignoSat represents a pioneering step towards sustainable space exploration. By exploring the potential of wood as a building material in space, researchers hope to pave the way for long-term human habitation on other celestial bodies.

This initiative not only addresses the need for sustainable materials in space, but also contributes to broader environmental goals on Earth, demonstrating how innovation in materials science can lead to significant advances in space exploration and sustainability.

What you need to know

Conventional satellites are typically built from durable metals such as aluminum and titanium. These materials are chosen for their strength, heat resistance, and resilience in extreme space conditions, such as exposure to radiation and drastic temperature changes.

• However, traditional metal satellites can pose environmental problems, particularly when they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
• When the metal satellites re-enter the atmosphere, the intense heat generated causes them to burn, producing aluminum oxide particles.

This process contributes to air pollution and leaves residue that can harm the environment. Metallic satellites also create additional space debris, which poses risks to other spacecraft and can complicate future space missions.

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