Japan aims to launch world’s first wooden satellite

Japanese researchers say they are working on building the world’s first wooden satellite.

The aim is to help combat the problem of space waste. Space debris includes items such as dead satellites, lost pieces of equipment, and small pieces of paint. These objects can present threats to spacecraft and satellites operating in space.

The project is a joint effort of Sumitomo Forestry Company and Kyoto University of Japan. The development team recently announced plans for the satellite in a press release.

The researchers say the wooden satellite – which they call LignoSat – is one of many planned projects that seek to explore how wood could be used in space in the future.

The developers say that the wood offers several advantages compared to other materials commonly used to build satellites, such as aluminum and other metals.

For example, researchers claim that wood does not block electromagnetic waves. For this reason, wooden structures could be used to house antenna equipment and other control devices, the team said in a statement.

The wooden structures would also be easier to design and weigh less than current satellite equipment, the researchers added. Such satellites would be better for the environment because they would burn on entering the Earth’s atmosphere. They would not release polluting particles into the air and the oceans.

Space junk: a growing problem

Researchers say space waste is a growing problem. Thousands of non-operational satellites are currently orbiting the Earth, and the number of new satellites continues to grow. Last year, European and United Nations agencies announced that they were developing a global action plan to combat space debris. The agencies said the trash orbiting Earth must be cleaned up to make room for new satellites.

One of the project leaders is Japanese astronaut Takao Doi, who is also a professor at Kyoto University. He told BBC News that the driving force behind the project was the need to limit pollutants emitted from satellites that remain in the upper atmosphere for many years.

“Ultimately, it will affect Earth’s environment,” Doi said. He added that once the first steps of the research process are completed, the team will start “developing the engineering model of the satellite”. After that, a satellite flight model will be made.

The first wooden satellite could be launched by 2023.

The researchers admit that the project has big technological problems. These include finding a wood material that can hold its shape in extreme temperatures and survive intense sunshine for a long time.

The Japanese project involves researching different wood-based materials and coatings which can hold up in the extreme conditions of space. The team is studying the construction of wooden structures in cedar and birch wood.

The researchers also plan to study the performance of other wood products in space. They want to know if trees could help humans in extreme environments such as space stations.

The company behind the project, Sumitomo Forestry, has also developed buildings mainly in wood. In 2018, the company announced its biggest project, a 350-meter wooden skyscraper to be built in Tokyo. He says the goal is to complete the building by 2041.

I am Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from AFP, Sumitomo Forestry Company, Kyoto University and BBC News. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

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Words in this story

waste – not. equipment that is no longer used or no longer works

advantage – not. something that is good or desirable

antenna – not. a device used to send or receive communication signals

coating – not. a thin layer of a substance that covers an object for the purpose of protecting it or for some other reason