World's first wooden satellite launched into space – DW – 11/05/2024
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Researchers from Japan believe that timber is a space-grade material that could on day be used to build houses on Mars. Their satellite was crafted from honoki wood without screws or glue to hold it together.

Summary

Japan launched the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, to test if wood can function as a space-grade material. Developed by Kyoto University, the satellite is made of honoki wood, chosen after a 10-month ISS experiment proved its suitability for space.

Designed without screws or glue, LignoSat will orbit Earth for six months, enduring extreme temperature swings and measuring wood’s resistance to space radiation. Advocates highlight wood’s eco-friendly re-entry properties compared to metal.

Researchers envision wooden structures for future space habitats, potentially boosting the timber industry.

  • @[email protected]English
    4•2 months ago

    Cooling by radiation is slower than convection or conduction, but it still happens. The James Webb went from room temperature to deep cryogenic in a few months, and it’s big. As for moisture, things cook off into a vacuum very easily. That’s the foundational to the whole concept of freeze drying, actually.

    Freeze dried wood is absolutely commercially available, if pricey. I have no idea if anyone has used it for musical purposes either. There’s a lot of audiophile-ish magical thinking in that space so it’s possible nobody has bothered.

    Edit: Although, since this is a research project, maybe not freeze drying it first was the point.