Floating around the Earth there are a lot of satellites. Great for GPS, weather monitoring and internet – not so great for unwanted space. This is why Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University are teaming up to create the first wooden satellites by 2023.
One might think that metal satellites burn on re-entry, but as it turns out, it’s not that simple. “We are very concerned that all satellites re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere are burning and creating small particles of alumina that will float in the upper atmosphere for many years,” said Takao Doi, an astronaut and professor at Kyoto University. BBC when we talk about the project. “It will eventually affect the Earth’s environment.”
The wood, however, would burns completely on re-entry without leaving harmful substances in the atmosphere – or can scatter hazardous debris. Conformable Nikkei Asia, another reason why researchers experiment with wood is that it does not block electromagnetic waves or the Earth’s magnetic field. This means that wooden satellites could have simpler constructions, because components such as antennas could be placed inside the satellite itself.
As for the type of wood, Sumitomo Forestry keeps the mother. The company only told the BBC that it was a “research and development” secret, but that it would be resistant to temperature changes, sunlight and extreme weather conditions. Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University have also said they will study the feasibility of building wooden structures in space by March 2024.
G / O Media may receive a commission
For now, Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University aim to create a “proof of concept” and research into tree growth and how wood materials behave in space. The next step, according to Doi, is to create a satellite engineering model, followed by a flight model. But even if wooden satellites do not become a thing, it is possible that any wood that is developed can be used in more extreme environments on Earth.
In accordance with World Economic Forum, there are about 6,000 satellites currently in orbit, of which 60% are dead. In the meantime, it is estimated that 990 satellites will be launched each year for the next decade. WEF also notes that there is more than half a million pieces of space garbage larger than a marble currently floating around the Earth and 20,000 pieces of scrap which are bigger than a softball. These pieces of garbage are not static. In fact, it moves at speeds up to 17,500 miles per hour, the speed needed to stay in orbit and not fall back to Earth itself. Conformable GODMOTHER, more junk space poses an increasing danger of collision for all types of spacecraft, including the International Space Station, shuttles and any other type of ship that can carry people. (In fact, NASA and Russian flight controllers regularly practice avoidance maneuvers to protect the ISS from unwanted space.) The debris does not even have to be particularly large to cause damage – it has even been shown that paint stains damage the windows of the space shuttle.
The problem of space congestion is getting worse, because both Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Amazon’s Project Kuiper race to launch thousands of satellites in orbit to offer discounted internet. Meanwhile, astronomers have done the same he expressed concern that these satellite constellations could potentially it disrupts their capacity to observe the cosmos. It’s not clear how many wooden satellites would alleviate the problem, but, hey, it must be better than gluing more metal trash there.