Lignoza Why could the material of this spacecraft named after it be wood?

Evidently new They’re trying something!

On November 5, 2024, it was loaded onto SpaceX’s Dragon cargo vehicle and launched on a Falcon 9 rocket.

in Latin “woodLignoSat, named after lignum, meaning “”, was launched for a six-month orbital trial. The main reason is that it will be tested whether satellites and wood can be used in space research.

This is a first in the world and has a very important place for satellites that will be built with sustainable materials. Because so are the satellites prepared so far because they are made of metal When they return to Earth they release harmful substances such as aluminum oxide.

If the “wooden” satellite is successful, it will prevent the release of harmful substances into the atmosphere.

The idea of ​​a satellite derived from a magnolia tree native to Japan is actually not new. The person who first brought it up in 2017 was a NASA astronaut and engineer. It was Takao Doi. The type of wood used in the construction of the satellite also plays a key role in the construction of the samurai sword.

This material has been tested before use. MagnoliaWood samples obtained from cherry and birch trees were exposed to solar radiation, cosmic light and space for eight months. As a result of the research, no distortion was observed in the samples, which led to the question “why not use in a satellite?” He came up with his idea.

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