Japanese researchers say they are building the world’s first wooden satellite.
The aim is to fight the problem of space rubbish. Space debris contains things like dead satellites, lost pieces of equipment and small pieces of paint. Such objects can pose threats to spacecraft and satellites operating in space.
The project is a joint effort involving the company Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University in Japan. The development team recently announced plans for the satellite in a news release.
According to the researchers, the wooden satellite – which they call LignoSat – is one of several planned projects that want to investigate how wood can be used in space in the future.
According to the developers, wood offers several advantages about other materials commonly used to build satellites, such as aluminum and other metals.
The researchers say, for example, that wood does not block electromagnetic waves. For this reason, wooden structures can be used to house antenna equipment and other controls, the team said in a statement.
Wooden structures would also be simpler to design and weigh less than current satellite equipment, the researchers said. Such satellites will be better for the environment because they will burn when they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. They will not release polluting particles into the air and oceans.
Space junk: a growing problem
According to the researchers, space debris is a growing problem. Thousands of non-working satellites are currently orbiting the earth and the number of new satellites is still growing. Last year, European and United Nations agencies announced that they were developing a plan for global action to deal with space debris. The agencies said waste orbiting the earth needed to be cleared to make way for new satellites.
One of the leaders of the project is the Japanese astronaut Takao Doi, who is also a professor at the University of Kyoto. He told BBC News that the driving force behind the project was the need to limit pollutants released from satellites that remain in the upper atmosphere for years.
“Ultimately, it will affect the earth’s environment,” Doi said. He added that after completing the first steps in the research process, the team will start developing the engineering model of the satellite. Thereafter, a satellite flight model will be manufactured.
The first wooden satellite could be launched by 2023.
The researchers acknowledge that the project poses major technological problems. This includes finding a wood material that can keep its shape in severe temperatures and survive intense sunlight over a long period of time.
The Japanese project involves the investigation of various wood-based materials and protection coverings which can withstand in the extreme conditions of space. The team studies the construction of wooden structures with cedar and birch wood.
The researchers also plan to study how other wood products in space will perform. They want to find out if trees can help people in extreme environments like space stations.
The company supporting the project, Sumitomo Forestry, has also developed buildings made mainly of wood. In 2018, the company announced its biggest project, a 350-meter wooden skyscraper to be built in Tokyo. It says 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.
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments and visit our Facebook page.
Quiz – Japan aims to launch world’s first wooden satellite
Start the quiz to find out
_______________________________________________________________
Words in this story
rubbish – n. materials that are no longer used or working
advantage – n. something good or desirable
antenna – n. a device used to send or receive communication signals
cover – n. a thin layer of fabric covering an object to protect it or for some reason