The wheel of technology keeps turning in seemingly extreme directions. Japan is discussing the idea of ​​creating wooden satellites that will enter orbit as early as 2024. The research team that developed the first wooden satellite is from Kyoto University in Japan. The project team has already received results from the International Space Station (ISS) headed for possible wooden satellites.

The research team’s findings showed that wood can be quite stable in the open field. According to a press release by the team, space is an extreme environment with high temperature variations and intense cosmic radiation.

In such environments, there are also dangerous solar particles that rapidly affect materials. The wood was exposed to these conditions for up to 10 months and the tests confirmed that the wood did not deteriorate or warp. There were no cracks, deterioration, peeling or surface damage in the wood.

The study builds on previous research by the LignoSat International Partnership. A partnership led by Kyoto University has developed a wooden satellite to be jointly launched by NASA and the Japan Space Agency. The LignoSat Space Wood project started in 2020. This was the culmination of a collaboration between Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry. Wood has been found to have the ability to withstand simulated low Earth orbit (LEO) conditions.

Outside of the Japanese Kibo Experiment Module, a small panel of three different wood samples was launched at the ISS. The panel remained in space for 10 months and was subsequently retrieved by the Japan Space Agency. The ejection was performed by Koichi Wakata, and the sample was returned via SpaceX’s CRS-26 Dragon cargo spacecraft. Among the specimens, the strongest tree was the magnolia tree. It has relatively high machinability, dimensional stability and overall durability. It is a reliable alternative to the metal alloy currently used for satellites.

Wood is an ecologically cleaner option, it is cheaper and cleaner to manufacture. Also, wood can be destroyed more easily than metal. The research is promising and we hope to launch a wooden satellite into orbit next year.