The satellite industry may never be the same again. While we hear so much about new metals in our rockets, how often do you hear of simply putting wood into orbit?
I guess we should not have been too surprised now that wood is being used to build office towers. And the best part is that wooden satellites burn cleaner than metal satellites, making them safer for the environment.
Last year we learned about the Kyoto University’s test of wood materials on the International Space Station. The findings indicated that magnolia wood was one of the better materials for spacecraft, though more testing was needed.
The plan is for a summer 2024 launch of a coffee-size probe called LignoSat that can then be monitored for six months. That should be time to better understand the strength and effectiveness of the wood before it burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere.
It reminds me of the old joke about the Americans inventing a billion-dollar pen to write upside down in space while the Russians simply used a pencil. Maybe the Japanese also have some to teach us.
Our Awesome Universe 