A bunch of satellites float around the earth. Cool for GPS, weather pattern tracking, and the Internet – not so cool for space junk. That’s why Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University are teaming up to create the world’s first wooden satellites by 2023.
You might think that metal satellites burn up on reentry, but it turns out not to be that simple. “We are very concerned that all the satellites that reenter Earth’s atmosphere will burn up and create tiny alumina particles that will float in the upper atmosphere for years to come,” said Takao Doi, an astronaut and professor at Kyoto University. to the BBC when we talk about the project. “Ultimately, it will affect the Earth’s environment.”
Wood, however would burn up completely on return without leaving harmful substances in the atmosphere – or perhaps spreading hazardous waste. According to Nikkei Asia, another reason the researchers are experimenting with wood is that it doesn’t block electromagnetic waves or Earth’s own magnetic field. That means wooden satellites are easier to build, as components such as antennas can be placed in the satellite itself.
As for the wood type, Sumitomo Forestry loves mama. The company only told the BBC that it was an “R&D secret” but that it would withstand temperature changes, sunlight and extreme weather. Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University also said they would also study the feasibility of building wooden structures in space until March 2024.
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For now, Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University are striving to create a “proof of concept” and to research tree growth and how wood materials behave in space. The next step, according to Doi, is to create a technical model for the satellite, followed by a flight model. But even if wooden satellites don’t work out, it’s possible that the wood that is being developed could be used in more extreme environments on Earth.
According to the World Economic Forumthere are currently about 6,000 satellites in orbit, 60% of which have actually been defunct. Meanwhile, an estimated 990 satellites will be launched every year over the next decade. The WEF also notes that there are more than half a million pieces of space junk bigger than a marble currently floating around the earth and 20,000 pieces of debris that are bigger than a softball. These pieces of waste are not static. They actually move at speeds up to 17,500 miles per hour, the speed it takes to stay in orbit and not fall back to Earth itself. According to NASA, more space debris is an increasing collision hazard for all types of spacecraft, including the International Space Station, shuttles and any other type of craft capable of carrying people. (In fact, NASA and Russian flight controllers are regular practice evasive maneuvers to protect the ISS from space junk.) The debris doesn’t even have to be particularly large to cause damage – even stains of paint have been shown to damage the space shuttle’s windows.
The problem of space clutter is only getting worse, as both Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Amazon’s Project Kuiper race to launch thousands of satellites in a job to provide cheap internet. Meanwhile, astronomers have too concerns that these satellite constellations could possibly interfere with their ability to observe the cosmos. It’s unclear how many wooden satellites would alleviate the problem, but hey, it must be better than sticking more metal junk up there.