The world’s first wood-panelled satellite has been launched into space to test the suitability of timber as a renewable building material in future exploration of destinations like the Moon and Mars.
Made by researchers in Japan, the tiny satellite weighing just 900g is heading for the International Space Station on a SpaceX mission.
Researchers at Kyoto University who developed it hope it may be possible in the future to replace some metals used in space exploration with wood.
If trees could one day be planted on the Moon or Mars, wood might also provide material for colonies in space in the future, the researchers hope.
“There’s nothing wrong with using wood in space – it’s using the right material for the right task.”
To test the viability of using wood as a renewable building material for future space exploration of places like the Moon and Mars, the world’s first wood-paneled satellite was launched into orbit.
The tiny, 900g satellite was created by Japanese researchers and is on a SpaceX mission en route to the International Space Station. After that, it will be launched into orbit over the planet.
Its panels, which are called LignoSat after the Latin word for wood, were constructed from a particular kind of magnolia tree using a time-honored method that requires neither glue nor screws.
Researchers at Kyoto University, who created it, hope that wood could eventually be used in place of some metals used in space exploration.
The Reuters news agency quoted Koji Murata, a professor of forest science at Kyoto University, as saying, “Wood is more durable in space than on Earth because there is no water or oxygen that would rot or inflame it.”.
Prof. Murata stated, “Aircraft in the early 1900s were constructed of wood.”. It should be possible to create a wooden satellite as well. “..”.
The researchers hope that wood could eventually be used to build space colonies if trees could be planted on the Moon or Mars.
LignoSat uses conventional aluminum structures and electronic components in addition to its wood panels. It is equipped with sensors to track how its wood responds to the harsh conditions of space over the course of its six-month orbit around the planet.
Space research scientist Dr. Simeon Barber of the UK’s Open University stated: “We must be clear that this is not a satellite that is entirely composed of wood. However, the fundamental idea behind the concept is fascinating.
He told the BBC that “wood is a material that can be grown and therefore renewable from a sustainability point of view.”.
“Explorers have always used wood to build shelters when they have traveled to a new place, so the possibility that you could be able to grow wood on another planet to aid in space exploration or shelter construction is intriguing. “..”.
Wood has been used on spacecraft before, according to Dr. Barber.
The outer shell of spacecraft is made of wood, or cork, to help them survive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. “,”.
“To help the rover have grip as it was descending to the surface, Russian and Soviet lunar landers used cork,” he continued.
“As long as the right material is used for the right job, there is nothing wrong with wood in space. “.”.
He emphasized that wood has difficult-to-control qualities.
It’s a challenging material to work with from an engineering perspective. Wood will always be problematic, in my opinion, when it comes to important structures, such as spacecraft components, where its strength must be predicted. “,”.
When spacecraft are made of wood, the Kyoto University researchers hope that it will be significantly less polluting than metal ones when they burn up during re-entry.
