Wooden Satellite Launch to Take Place Soon as Scientists Prepare

This could be huge.

Wood Ya Look at That

Background:

In what could be a sustainability breakthrough in the space economy, a team of scientists from Kyoto University and Japanese logging startup Sumitomo Forestry say they’ve demonstrated that wood might just be a durable in-orbit material. This project has been in the works for a while now. The partnership was first announced back in 2020, and in March of last year, the team coupled up with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to send three types of wood to the International Space Station (ISS) to test each type’s off-world resilience.

Amazing Results:

“Wood’s ability to withstand simulated low earth orbit — or LEO — conditions astounded us,” Koji Murata, the leader of the effort and a Kyoto University researcher, said at the time. “We now want to see if we can accurately estimate the effects of the harsh LEO environment on organic materials.”

Once they made it to the ISS, the samples were placed in JAXA’s Kibo module, where they stayed for roughly ten months. And as of last week, the results are finally in — and apparently, it was a grand success. As a result, according to a press release, the scientists are hoping to launch their first full-blown wooden satellite into orbit next year.

Most Resilient:

As far as the winning type of wood goes, magnolia was found to be the most resilient, with the scientists confirming there to be “no decomposition or deformations, such as cracking, warping, peeling, or surface damage ” and almost no change in weight in the returned sample, according to the release.

Benefits over Traditional Satellites:

From military applications to high-speed internet, society very much relies on satellites. But for how much we rely on them, satellites pose a lot of real concerns, both to Earth’s internal and external environments. Like most other spacecraft, when satellites die, they often turn into very expensive trash. And when dying satellites fall back into Earth’s atmosphere, they burn aluminum — another serious issue, considering that high levels of burning aluminum could ultimately rip a new hole in our atmosphere ozone.

All to say, transitioning to wooden satellites could be a best-of-both-worlds solution to the growing satellite issue. Fingers crossed that a wooden space station is next.

More on Wood:

Scientists Are Officially Launching a Wooden Satellite

FAQ:

What did the scientists at Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry demonstrate?

The team of scientists from Kyoto University and Japanese logging startup Sumitomo Forestry demonstrated that wood might be a durable in-orbit material.

What types of wood were sent to the International Space Station to test off-world resilience?

Three types of wood were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) to test off-world resilience.

What was the winning type of wood in the resilience test?

The winning type of wood in the resilience test was magnolia.

What are some concerns with traditional satellites?

Traditional satellites pose concerns to both Earth’s internal and external environments, such as expensive trash and burning aluminum.

What could be a solution to the growing satellite issue?

A best-of-both-worlds solution to the growing satellite issue could be transitioning to wooden satellites.

In conclusion, the successful demonstration by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry that wood is a durable in-orbit material could lead to a sustainable breakthrough in the space economy. Furthermore, the resilience test results showed magnolia to be the most resilient type of wood. Wooden satellites could be a solution to the growing concerns with traditional satellites, such as expensive trash and burning aluminum.