The first wooden satellite in the world was launched into space on a SpaceX rocket as part of a mission to resupply the International Space Station (ISS), its Japanese creators reported.
Scientists from the University of Kyoto hope the wooden material will burn up when the device re-enters the atmosphere, thus avoiding the generation of metallic particles that can negatively impact the environment and telecommunications.
Wooden Satellite Features
Each side of the experimental satellite, named LignoSat, measures only 10 centimeters. It was launched from the Kennedy Space Center of NASA in Florida, according to the Human Space Center of the University of Kyoto.
Successful Launch
The satellite, installed in a space container prepared by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, “safely flew into space.” A spokesperson from Sumitomo Forestry, one of the creators of LignoSat, confirmed the successful launch. The satellite will soon arrive at the ISS and will be launched into space a month later to test its resistance and durability.
Project Objectives
The satellite will send information to researchers to verify stress signals and determine if it can withstand extreme temperature changes. “Non-metallic satellites should become common,” declared Takao Doi, astronaut and professor at the University of Kyoto.
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