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11 Jan 2025
World's 1st wooden satellite deploys from ISS to demonstrate cleaner spacecraft tech
LignoSat will demonstrate how well wood withstands the rigors of the space environment.
An experimental satellite made of wood has been deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) to test how the renewable, sustainable material withstands the harsh orbital environment.
The satellite, designed and built by Kyoto University and Japanese wood processing company Sumitomo Forestry, is called LignoSat, a reference to the organic polymer lignin, which is prevalent in wood cells.
The 1U cubesat — a cube measuring 4 inches (10 centimeters) on a side — will remain in space for about six months before it gets pulled back into Earth's atmosphere by drag. The mission might open new avenues for spacecraft design at a time when the potential environmental impact of satellite reentries faces increasing scrutiny.
During the mission, researchers will measure the response of LignoSat's magnolia-wood body to the temperature swings and high radiation levels in near-Earth space.
A satellite orbiting at the altitude of the International Space Station (about 250 miles, or 450 kilometers) circles the planet every 90 minutes. During that time it gets exposed to temperatures as high as 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius) when facing the sun and as low as minus 250 degrees F (minus 157 degrees C) when in Earth's shadow. On top of that, the spacecraft gets battered by highly charged particles of solar wind.
Exposed to such extremes, materials quickly degrade. Hence, satellite makers have so far relied on sturdy aluminum alloys — but these leave behind potentially climate-altering metallic dust when they burn upon reentry. If LignoSat withstands its space test, it could pave the way for a new generation of eco-friendly satellites.
Source: https://space.com/
