Japan's LignoSat, the first ever wooden satellite, has been launched into Earth orbit. Astronauts launched it last December from the International Space Station (ISS). This is reported by UNN with reference to NASA and CNN.
Details
LignoSat satellite was developed by scientists from Kyoto University and the construction company Sumitomo Forestry. It was named after the Latin word lignum, which means "wood".
It is noted that the satellite is made of magnolia vastifolia, which grows in Japan.
The LignoSat is a cube with an edge length of only 10 centimeters, constructed using a nail and glue-free technology.
LignoSat is intended to demonstrate the space potential of renewable material for the study of life in space.
The sensors on board LignoSat will record possible deformations of the material, its level of resistance to radiation, and the effect of the Earth's magnetic field on the spacecraft's internal electronics.
A previous experiment aboard the station exposed three types of wood to the space environment to help researchers determine the best option for LignoSat
The satellite will be delivered to the International Space Station as part of the SpaceX mission. Then it will be launched into orbit at an altitude of about 400 kilometers above the Earth
LignoSat is the first step towards the realization of a 50-year plan to plant trees and build wooden houses on the Moon and Mars, which was developed by Japanese scientists. It is necessary to prove that wood is suitable for staying in space.
In the early 1900s, airplanes were made of wood. A wooden satellite should be quite suitable too
According to him, wood in space will be more durable than on Earth, because there is no water or oxygen to rot or catch fire.
The scientist also claims that a wooden satellite minimizes the impact on the environment. Decommissioned metal satellites create aluminum oxide particles when they enter the atmosphere. While wooden ones should carry less pollution.
LignoSat will be in orbit for six months. The electronic components on board will measure how wood withstands the extreme conditions of space. There, temperatures fluctuate from -100 to 100℃ every 45 minutes as the satellite moves from darkness to sunlight.
Recall
The BepiColombo mission has captured a series of new images of Mercury during its sixth flyby of the planet. The spacecraft, launched in 2018, is scheduled to land on Mercury in 2026 for detailed research.
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