Japanese researchers are working on satellite technology that would use wood components to remove excess space debris, which could burn objects when they re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, according to a new report.
Sumitomo Forestry, a 400-year-old Japanese woodworking company, is working with Kyoto University to develop the technology, the BBC reported Tuesday.
NASA estimated more than a decade ago that 95% of man-made objects in orbit were space junk. They come from defunct satellites, discarded missile stages and other discarded mission equipment.
Most of it is relatively small, according to the European Space Agency. Of the 128 million pieces of debris orbiting the Earth, only about 34,000 objects are larger than 10 cm. But when larger objects collide, they produce much, much smaller ones. And they can travel in excess of 20,000 mph, making even small particles dangerous.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, which maintains a satellite database, there are also about 2,800 functioning satellites in orbit. Governments and aerospace companies have plans to launch thousands more in the future.
Experts are concerned that too much clutter in space can complicate future launches, potentially shrinking the window of flight paths. Larger objects that fall out of orbit are also dangerous to life on the ground
Space junk threatens satellites and can potentially kill astronauts. Some launches from countries less concerned with security protocols can send huge chunks of material back to Earth.
In May, a Chinese missile core rained down over West Africa. Had the return been minutes earlier, he could have invaded New York City.
Wooden satellites would disintegrate completely, instead of hitting back to the surface or leaving small metal particles that could pierce space suits, solar panels or shuttles in the future.
“We are very concerned that all the satellites that re-enter Earth’s atmosphere will burn up and create tiny alumina particles that will float in the upper atmosphere for many years,” said Kyoto University professor and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi. to the BBC. “Ultimately, it will affect the Earth’s environment.”
In October, two pieces of junk collided nearly 615 miles above Earth. One was an inoperable Russian satellite launched in 1989 and the other a 2009 Chinese rocket stage.
The objects passed within 11 meters of each other in a near miss, but a collision could have broken them into thousands of pieces and then put them at risk for more collisions with other objects.