Japanese researchers say they are working on building the world’s first wooden satellite.
The goal is to help combat the problem of space waste. Space debris includes things like dead satellites, lost equipment, and small pieces of paint. Such objects may pose a threat to spacecraft and space satellites.
The project is a joint effort involving Sumitomo Forestry and the Japanese University of Kyoto. The development team recently announced plans for the satellite in a press release.
Researchers say the wooden satellite – which they call LignoSat – is one of several planned projects aimed at exploring how wood could be used in space in the future.
Developers say that wood offers more benefits over other materials commonly used to build satellites, such as aluminum and other metals.
For example, researchers say that wood does not block electromagnetic waves. For this reason, wooden structures could be used for housing antenna equipment and other control devices, the team said in a statement.
Wooden structures would also be easier to design and weigh less than current satellite equipment, the researchers added. Such satellites would be better for the environment because they would burn when the Earth’s atmosphere re-entered. It would not release pollutants into the air and oceans.
Spatial waste: a growing problem
Researchers say space junk is a growing problem. Thousands of malfunctioning satellites are currently orbiting the Earth, and the number of new satellites continues to grow. Last year, European and United Nations agencies announced that they were developing a global action plan to tackle space debris. The agencies said the debris orbiting the earth must be cleaned to make way for the new satellites.
One of the leaders of the project is the Japanese astronaut Takao Doi, who is also a professor at Kyoto University. He told BBC News that the driving force behind the project is the need to limit pollutants released by satellites that remain in the upper atmosphere for many years.
“It will eventually affect the Earth’s environment,” Doi said. He added that after completing the first steps in the research process, the team will begin “developing the satellite engineering model.” After that, a satellite flight model will be manufactured.
The first wooden satellite could be launched by 2023.
Researchers acknowledge that the project has some major technological problems. These include finding a wood that will keep its shape at severe temperatures and survive the intense sun for a long time.
The Japanese project involves research into various wood-based and protective materials COATING which can withstand extreme space conditions. The team is studying the construction of wooden structures using cedar and birch wood.
The researchers also plan to study how other wood products would work in space. They want to know if trees could help people in extreme environments, such as space stations.
The company supporting the project, Sumitomo Forestry, has also developed buildings made mainly of wood. In 2018, the company announced its largest project, a 350-meter wooden skyscraper to be built in Tokyo. It is said that the goal is to complete the building by 2041.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from AFP, Sumitomo Forestry Company, Kyoto University and BBC News. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.
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Words in this story
waste – n. material that is no longer useful or working
advantage – n. something that is good or desirable
antenna – n. a device used to send or receive communications signals
layer – n. a thin layer of a substance that covers an object for the purpose of protecting it or for some other reason