NASA and Japan to launch world's 1st wooden satellite

The magnolia wood LignoSat is an attempt to make space junk biodegradable. LignoSat, a coffee mug-size satellite made from magnolia wood, is set to launch into Earth's orbit by summer 2024, according to NASA and JAXA.

Wood doesn't burn or rot in the lifeless vacuum of space, but it will incinerate into a fine ash upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere, making it a surprisingly useful, biodegradable material for future satellites. After successfully testing their wood samples aboard the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this year, the scientists believe the test satellite is fit for launch.

Three wood specimens were tested and showed no deformation after space exposure. Despite the extreme environment of outer space involving significant temperature changes and exposure to intense cosmic rays and dangerous solar particles for 10 months, tests confirmed no decomposition or deformations, such as cracking, warping, peeling or surface damage.

To decide which wood to use, the scientists sent three wood samples — magnolia, cherry or birch — to the ISS to be kept in a module that was exposed to space. The researchers settled upon magnolia because it is less likely to split or break during manufacture.

Spacecraft made from metal are also expensive and pose a threat to the ISS, other spacecraft carrying humans and — if they're big enough to survive reentry — people on Earth too. Wooden satellites like LignoSat should theoretically be less harmful as space junk.

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Credits : https://www.space.com/nasa-japan-launch-wooden-satellite-lignosat-2024