Wooden satellites
A Japanese startup called Sumitomo Forestry has partnered with Kyoto University to develop the first wood satellites.
The goal is to minimize the amount of space debris that has accumulated in orbit over the past decades, such as the BBC reports. Satellites made of wood, the theory goes, could simply burn up when they reenter Earth’s atmosphere.
“We are very concerned that all the satellites that reenter Earth’s atmosphere are burning up and creating tiny alumina particles that will float in the upper atmosphere for years to come,” Professor Takao Doi of Kyoto University, who launched the International Space Station in 2008. visited. told the BBC. “Ultimately, it will affect the Earth’s environment.”
Orbital Yule Log
The researchers are currently investigating how different types of wood can withstand the extreme conditions in space. The materials would have to withstand extreme temperature changes and an attack of radiation.
A proof of concept is in the works, as well as a model designed for future test flights, the BBC. However, Sumitomo Forestry remains closed on all the details.
The concept is reminiscent of an unused script for the 1992 movie “Alien 3”, which is said to have taken place on a wooden satellite.
Space Junkyard
According to the World Economic Forum, about 6,000 satellites are currently orbiting the Earth, but only about 60 percent are actually in use.
An increasing number of companies are planning to soon launch their own constellations of satellites to bring broadband to every part of the world, significantly increasing the clutter in Earth’s orbit.
SpaceX alone has sent nearly 1,000 of its Starlink satellites into orbit. However, it has chosen to burn them on re-entry after they are no longer usable.
READ MORE: Japan is developing wooden satellites to reduce space debris [BBC]
More about wood: Scientists make clear, glass-like material from wood