World’s First Wooden Satellite Launched into Space

The LignoSat cubesat, crafted by Kyoto University scientists in collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry, was sent into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday. Arriving at the International Space Station (ISS) the following day aboard a Dragon supply ship, the wooden satellite will remain there for about six months before deployment later this year.

Each side of the LignoSat measures around 4 inches (10 centimeters) and is constructed from honoki wood, a type of magnolia tree native to Japan. The satellite was built using traditional Japanese techniques that avoid screws or glue, emphasizing both durability and environmental friendliness.

This mission aims to explore the feasibility of wooden materials for satellite construction as a potential solution to mitigate space junk. Decommissioned satellites in low-Earth orbit are typically burned up in the atmosphere, but metallic satellites do not always disintegrate entirely, sometimes leaving metal fragments that can reach Earth’s surface and contribute to environmental pollution.

Equipped with sensors, LignoSat will transmit data on its resilience against the harsh conditions of space, such as extreme temperature fluctuations, helping scientists assess the material’s viability.

The concept of a wooden satellite was initially reported by Digital Trends four years ago. At the time, Takao Doi, a professor at Kyoto University and former Japanese astronaut, voiced his concern to the BBC, saying, “We’re very concerned with the fact that all the satellites which re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn and create tiny alumina particles which will float in the upper atmosphere for many years.”

Doi has indicated that if LignoSat proves successful, the team intends to propose the wooden satellite design as an eco-friendly alternative to SpaceX for future missions.