With space debris becoming an increasingly common threat in orbit, a change in aerospace design could be necessary. A wooden satellite designed by Japanese researchers was launched into orbit on Tuesday by SpaceX. The unique device will shape the future of satellites and how space agencies tackle human habitation on the Moon and Mars.
LignoSat was shipped up to the International Space Station and then released into orbit for six months. The goal is to test wood’s viability as material for space construction, Reuters reports. The satellite designed by Kyoto University and homebuilder Sumitomo Forestry was fabricated without glue or screws. Researchers will gauge how well wood can handle extreme temperature fluctuations and shield its internal electronics from space radiation.
The biggest benefit of using wood in space is that it’s renewable. Japanese astronaut Takao Doi said, “With timber, a material we can produce by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live and work in space forever.” With private space companies setting up constellations of thousands of satellites, these objects have to be sustainable. They also need to be safely combustible and not emit aluminum oxides if they are expected to burn up in the atmosphere after only a few years.
