World’s first wooden satellite heads to space


Kyoto University's Takao Doi said timber could enable humanity to live in space. — Reuters

KYOTO: The world’s first wooden satellite, built by Japanese researchers, has launched into space, marking an initial step in testing timber for potential use in lunar and Mars exploration.

LignoSat, developed by Kyoto University and homebuilder Sumitomo Forestry, will be flown to the International Space Station on a SpaceX mission, and later released into orbit about 400km above the Earth.

Named after the Latin word for “wood”, the palm-sized LignoSat is tasked to demonstrate the cosmic potential of the renewable material as humans explore living in space.

“With timber, a material we can produce by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live and work in space forever,” said Takao Doi, an astronaut who has flown on the Space Shuttle and studies human space activities at Kyoto University.

With a 50-year plan of planting trees and building timber houses on the moon and Mars, Doi’s team decided to develop a Nasa-certified wooden satellite to prove wood is a space-grade material.

“Early 1900s airplanes were made of wood,” said Kyoto University forest science professor Koji Murata. “A wooden satellite should be feasible, too.”

Wood is more durable in space than on Earth because there’s no water or oxygen that would rot or inflame it, Murata added.

A wooden satellite also minimises the environmental impact at the end of its life, the researchers said.

Decommissioned satellites must re-enter the atmosphere to avoid becoming space debris. — Reuters

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

   

Next In Business News

Trading ideas: IOI, Gagasan Nadi, Xin Hwa, T7, TCS, Aneka, HE, Ann Joo, Aimflex, F&N
Toyota likely to post first profit drop in two years
Strong financial grasp critical for investors
Licence freeze to have impact on Xin Hwa
Gagasan Nadi in RM185mil acquisition
Proton October sales climb 13.6% to 12,799 units
Aneka Jaringan wins RM39mil job
TCS bags RM86mil contract
The Philippines to be cautious in policy easing cycle
Ringgit maintains stronger footing at the close

Others Also Read