The environmentally friendly LignaSat probe – set to orbit this summer – has been created to combat harmful aluminium particles

The environmentally friendly LignaSat probe – set to orbit this summer – has been created to combat harmful aluminium particles

Japanese scientists have created one of the world’s most unusual spacecraft – a tiny satellite that is made of timber.

The LignoSat probe has been built of magnolia wood, which, in experiments carried out on the International Space Station (ISS), was found to be particularly stable and resistant to cracking. Now plans are being finalised for it to be launched on a US rocket this summer.

The timber satellite has been built by researchers at Kyoto University and the logging company Sumitomo Forestry in order to test the idea of using biodegradable materials such as wood to see if they can act as environmentally friendly alternatives to the metals from which all satellites are currently constructed.

  • @kaduEnglish
    74•9 months ago

    The goal isn’t preventing the whole “lots of tiny pieces moving around could collide with you” issue.

    The article mentions that aluminium fragments from space debris, upon reentry, end up damaging the ozone layer. The wooden ones do not.

    • THE MASTERMINDEnglish
      -4•9 months ago

      But wouldn’t the wooden one catch fire and unlike aluminium it won’t just stop burning after it enters the atmosphere would it ?

      EDIT :Oh i just got it its a satelite they don’t have to bring it back i think

      • @T156English
        8•9 months ago

        Yes, on re-entry. But the idea is probably that it’s less environmentally damaging than its metal counterparts burning up on re-entry.