This ten-centimeter cube was designed with magnolia wood. It is due to return to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX rocket, and will be completely burned up when it returns to the atmosphere.
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The very first satellite built in wood should take off aboard a SpaceX rocket in September, announced the Japanese researchers who achieved this world first, during a press conference on Tuesday, May 28. This cubic experimental satellite, developed by scientists from Kyoto University and forestry company Sumitomo Forestry, measures 10 cm on a side.
Its creators expect that the wood will burn completely when the device re-enters the atmosphere, which will prevent the formation of metal particles when the satellite returns to Earth. “Satellites that are not made of metal should be preferred,” said Takao Doi, an astronaut and special professor at Kyoto University.
Developers plan to hand over the LignoSat satellite, made from magnolia wood, to the Japanese space agency JAXA next week. After joining the International Space Station, the satellite will then be released from the Japanese experimental module of the ISS to test its strength and durability in space. “The data will be sent from the satellite to researchers who can check for signs of stress and whether it can withstand huge temperature changes”said a Sumitomo Forestry spokeswoman.
On Tuesday, a rocket carrying another satellite – a collaboration between the European Space Agency and JAXA – blasted off from California on a mission to study the role clouds could play in combating climate change. The EarthCARE satellite will orbit nearly 400 km above Earth for three years.
