Japanese researchers launch world’s first wooden satellite
Date
11/5/2024 8:04:58 AM
(MENAFN) Japanese researchers launched Lignosat, the world’s first wooden satellite, on Tuesday in a pioneering test designed to examine wood’s potential for future space missions, including those to the Moon and Mars. The experiment aims to explore whether wood, an abundant and renewable resource, could play a role in space exploration and construction.
The Lignosat satellite was developed by a collaborative team from Kyoto University and the homebuilding company Sumitomo Forestry. Scheduled for transport to the International Space Station via a SpaceX rocket, Lignosat will later be placed in orbit around 400 kilometers above Earth. This positioning will allow researchers to monitor how the wooden material withstands the conditions of outer space.
Although small in size, roughly the dimensions of a human palm, Lignosat serves a vital purpose in demonstrating renewable materials' resilience and adaptability in space. As interest grows in long-term human presence beyond Earth, sustainable resources like wood could help support life in space by offering new possibilities for construction.
Astronaut Takao Doi, who leads the project, envisions a future where wood could be central to building habitats in space. According to Reuters, this project aligns with a 50-year vision that includes planting trees and creating wooden structures on the Moon and Mars, provided wood proves itself as a viable building material for extraterrestrial environments.
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