In a great breakthrough in the development of environmentally friendly space crafts, Japan has successfully placed the LignoSat, the world’s first wooden satellite into orbit. This unique mission was created by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and boils down to testing a material, which is as relevant as wood in satellite constructions and thus may diversify space-related branches by eco-friendly alternatives.
LignoSat is designed from honoki magnolia wood used because of its properties such as hardness and resistance to environmental conditions. The satellite was built from an advanced material and was only 10 cm in size; it was constructed with the help of Japanese woodworking tools. The mission will also assess the ability of wood to withstand cosmic radiation impacts, temperature differences, and other forms of mechanical stress in space.
LignoSat was sent into space as part of SpaceX-31’s Dragon Cargo Vehicle and came out from the International Space Station (ISS) using the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-30. It orbits with four other CubeSats, which are all important in enhancing the design and operations of satellites.
With the latest satellite technology, LignoSat will capture vital information on the effectiveness of its wooden panels. These sensors will include stress levels, fluctuations in temperature, radiation danger and the likes. They are also investigating if the wooden architecture of the vessel is influenced in any way by the geomagnetic field.
Space missions have increased, the problem of environmental degradation, the traditional satellite materials are building up debris in space and depletion of natural resources. It may just be the dawn of a new generation of satellites and satellite building, the environmentally friendly and LignoSat kind.
LignoSat of JAXA shows the utilization of new technology products to address environmental issues. Were the new composites proved to offer the same strength as traditional materials like metal, then it means that wood and other recyclable constituents could offer a plausible way of lowering the impact of space expeditions on the environment.
While the output of the mission in the form of data by LignoSat is yet to be received, stakeholders in the space industry and environmental conservation agencies are waiting with bated breath to see what real value the world has in space in form of wood. Perhaps this experiment could alter our prospects beyond our own sustainable planet.