The world’s first wooden satellite, developed by Japanese scientists, has launched into space aboard a SpaceX rocket as part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station, Kyoto University announced on Tuesday. Known as LignoSat, this experimental satellite is designed to burn up completely upon re-entry, potentially offering an environmentally friendly alternative by avoiding atmospheric metal particle pollution.
Each side of the cube-shaped LignoSat measures just 10 centimeters (4 inches). Launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the satellite was installed in a specially prepared container by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Kyoto University’s Human Spaceology Center confirmed the satellite’s successful entry into space in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
A Sumitomo Forestry spokesperson, co-developer of LignoSat, also confirmed the mission’s success, marking a step forward in sustainable satellite technology.
It “will arrive at the ISS soon, and will be released to outer space about a month later to test its strength and durability,” she said.
Data will be sent from the satellite to researchers who can check for signs of strain and determine if the satellite can withstand extreme temperature changes.
“Satellites that are not made of metal should become mainstream,” Takao Doi, an astronaut and special professor at Kyoto University, said at a press conference earlier this year.
(AFP)
