The wheel of technology continues to spin in seemingly outrageous directions. Japan has mooted the idea of wooden satellites that will go into orbit as early as 2024. The team of researchers developing the first-ever wooden satellite is from Kyoto University in Japan. The project team has already obtained results from the International Space Station (ISS) which favors possible wooden satellites.

The findings of the research team indicated that wood can be sufficiently resilient in outer space. According to a press statement released by the team, outer space has an extreme environment with high-temperature changes and intense cosmic rays.

There are also dangerous solar particles that rapidly impact materials in such environments. Wood was exposed to such conditions for up to 10 months and tests confirmed no decomposition or deformations of the wood. The wood was free of cracking, warping, peeling, and surface damage.

The research is based on a preliminary investigation of the international partnership LignoSat. The Kyoto University-led partnership has designed a wooden satellite that will be jointly launched by NASA and the Japanese Space Agency. The LignoSat Space Wood Project kicked off in 2020. It was the culmination of the collaboration between Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry. It has been established that wood has the ability to withstand simulated low earth orbit (LEO) conditions.

A small panel containing thee different wood samples was launched into the ISS outside the Experimental Kibo module owned by Japan. The panel was exposed in space for 10 months after which it was retrieved by the Japanese Space Agency. The retrieval was carried out by Koichi Wakata and the sample was returned via SpaceX’s CRS-26 cargo Dragon spacecraft. The most durable wood among the sample was the wood from the Magnolia tree. It has a relatively high workability, dimensional stability, and overall strength. It is a credible alternative to alloy metal currently used for satellites.

Wood offers an environmentally-friendlier option and it is cheaper and cleaner to produce. Furthermore, wood can easily be disposed of than metal. The research holds much promise and we await the eventual commissioning of a wooden satellite into orbit next year.

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