The wooden satellite can help reduce space junk when metal-based satellites burn up in the atmosphere. (Image Credit: Kyoto University)
We've talked about how bad space garbage/debris can be many times. I do hope this makes an impact on how satellites are designed.
Kyoto University researchers and Sumitomo Forestry have developed LignoSat, a magnolia wooden satellite to help reduce space debris. After successful experimentation on the ISS, in which the material proved to be stable and crack-resistant, NASA and JAXA are collaborating to send the satellite into the Earth’s orbit this summer. This wooden satellite could replace today’s metal-based satellites that leave behind tiny aluminum particles in the atmosphere after burning up, potentially harming the environment.
This idea started in April 2020 when Kyoto researchers formed a project to investigate which types of wood can survive space launches and earth orbits. For example, they tested Japanese cherry but realized the magnolia wood is stronger and more durable. The team conducted the first experiment in space-like laboratories. Each wood sample didn’t undergo any mass changes, damage, or decomposition.
Afterward, they launched the samples to the international space station, and they underwent exposure trials for nearly one year before returning to Earth. In that environment, they had minimal damage, which can be explained by the lack of oxygen that would make it burn and creatures that may rot it. The magnolia wood satellites expect to have a set of experiments so researchers can see how well it performs while orbiting the Earth.
One of those missions involves measuring the wooden structure’s deformation while it’s in space. Although wood is durable and stable in one direction, it could undergo cracking and dimensional changes in the opposite direction.
They still need to decide which launch vehicle to use. So far, their options are an Orbital Sciences Cygnus supply ship to the ISS this summer or a SpaceX-like Dragon mission later this year. The plan is for the mug-sized satellite to stay in orbit for six months before entering the upper atmosphere.
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