Japan wants to launch the world’s first wooden satellite

Japanese researchers say they are working to build the world’s first satellite made of wood.

Its purpose is to help combat the problem of space clutter. Space junk includes things like dead satellites, lost equipment, and small pieces of paint. Such objects can pose a threat to spacecraft and satellites operating in space.

The project is a joint effort of the Sumitomo Forestry company and the Japanese University of Kyoto. 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 are trying to explore how wood could be used in space in the future.

The developers say wood offers several benefits over other materials commonly used to build satellites, such as aluminum and other metals.

For example, the researchers say that wood does not block electromagnetic waves. For this reason, wooden structures can be used for housing antenna equipment and other control equipment, the team said in a statement.

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 up when they reenter Earth’s atmosphere. They wouldn’t release polluting particles into the air and oceans.

Space junk: a growing problem

The researchers say space junk is a growing problem. Thousands of inoperative satellites are currently in orbit and the number of new satellites continues to grow. Last year, European and UN agencies announced they were developing a plan for global action to tackle space junk. The agencies said trash orbiting Earth needs to be cleared to make way for new satellites.

One of the project’s 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 is the need to limit pollutants released by satellites that remain in the upper atmosphere for years.

“Ultimately, it will affect the Earth’s environment,” Doi said. He added that after the initial steps in the research process have been completed, the team will begin “developing the satellite’s engineering model.” After that, a satellite flight model will be produced.

The first wooden satellite could be launched by 2023.

The researchers admit that the project poses major technological problems. These include finding a wood material that can hold its shape in extreme temperatures and survive prolonged intense sunlight.

The Japanese project involves research into various wood-based materials and protective equipment coatings that can withstand the extreme conditions of space. The team is studying the construction of wooden structures with cedar and birch wood.

The researchers also plan to study how other wood products would perform in space. They want to know if trees can help people in extreme environments such as space stations.

The company supporting the project, Sumitomo Forestry, has also developed buildings mainly made of wood. In 2018, the company announced its largest project, a 350-meter-high wooden skyscraper to be built in Tokyo. It 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

clutter – n. material that is no longer used or working

benefit – n. something that is good or desirable

antenna – n. a device used to send or receive communication signals

coating – n. a thin layer of a substance covering an object for protection or some other reason