In December 2024, five CubeSats including the first wooden satellite in history, LignoSat, were launched into Earth’s orbit. The satellites were transported aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft, 400 kilometers above Earth, and arrived at the ISS one month before to launch.
Together with homebuilder Sumitomo Forestry, Kyoto University constructed the LignoSat. It is composed of panels of hinoki magnolia wood, each 10 cm long. The distinctive feature is that it was put together using a Japanese wood-joinery technique, which eliminates the need for glue and screws. The satellite weighs about nine hundred grams in total.
In order to study the usage of wood in space, the spacecraft is expected to be in orbit. In contrast to traditional satellites, the inquiry is anticipated to shed some light on the sustainable alternative. Aluminum, titanium, Teflon thermoplastics, and other materials are typically used in the construction of a traditional satellite.
The satellite will measure the strain on wood and how it reacts to temperature and radiation when the temperature changes from -100 to 100 degrees Celsius every 45 minutes. The viability of exploring the Moon and Mars will be determined by LignoSat’s space mission.
Takao Doi, an astronaut who has flown on the Space Shuttle and studies human space activities at Kyoto University, told Reuters, “With timber, a material we can create by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live and work in space forever.”
Wood is more resilient in space than it is on Earth because there is no oxygen or water to decay it, according to Koji Murata, a professor of forest science at Kyoto University.
-Raja Aditya
