The world’s first wooden satellite, developed by Japanese scientists, launched on a SpaceX rocket as part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station, Kyoto University announced Tuesday. Named LignoSat, this 10-centimeter cube aims to demonstrate how wooden materials might reduce the impact of metal particles generated when satellites re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Such particles can harm the environment and interfere with telecommunications.
Launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, LignoSat was carried in a special container by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. It “safely reached space,” Kyoto University’s Human Spaceology Center posted on X. Sumitomo Forestry, co-developer of the satellite, confirmed the successful launch, noting that it would reach the ISS soon and be released into outer space about a month later. Researchers will receive data from LignoSat to assess its resilience under extreme temperatures and detect any material strain.
“Non-metallic satellites should be the future,” stated astronaut and Kyoto University professor Takao Doi at a recent press event.
