To drive the earth, there are a lot of satellites. Cool for GPS, monitoring weather patterns and the internet – not so cool for space junk. This is why Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University are working together to create the first timber satellites in the world by 2023.
You might think that metal satellites burn up upon re-entry, but it does not seem that simple. “We are very concerned about the fact that all the satellites that re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn and create small alumina particles that will float in the upper atmosphere for years,” said Takao Doi, an astronaut and professor in Kyoto. -university, at the BBC when you talk about the project. “Ultimately, it will affect the earth’s environment.”
Wood, would completely burns on re-entry without leaving harmful substances in the atmosphere – or perhaps scattering dangerous rubbish. According to Nikkei Asia, another reason why researchers are experimenting with wood is that it does not block electromagnetic waves or the earth’s own magnetic field. This means that wooden satellites can be built more easily, as components such as antennas can be placed inside the satellite.
As for the type of wood, Sumitomo Forestry holds mothers. The company merely told the BBC that it was an “R&D” secret, but that it would withstand temperature changes, sunlight and extreme weather conditions. Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University have also said they will also study the feasibility of building wooden structures in space until March 2024.
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Sumitomo Forestry and the University of Kyoto are currently aiming to create a ‘proof of concept’ and investigate the growth of trees and how wood materials behave in space. According to Doi, the next step is to create an engineering model for the satellite, followed by a flight model. But even if wood satellites do not become a thing, it is possible that wood that is developed can be used in more extreme environments on earth.
According to the World Economic Forum, there are currently about 6,000 satellites in orbit, 60% of which are actually no longer available. Meanwhile, 990 satellites are expected to be launched annually for the next decade. The WEF also notes that more than half a million pieces of space debris larger than a marble currently floating around the earth and 20,000 pieces of debris which is larger than a softball. These pieces of garbage are not static. They actually move at speeds up to 17,500 miles per hour, the speed required to stay in orbit and not fall back to Earth itself. According to NASA, more space debris poses an increasing risk of collision with all types of spacecraft, including the International Space Station, shuttles and any other type of spacecraft that can transport people. (In fact, NASA and Russian air traffic controllers regularly practice avoidance maneuvers to protect the ISS from space debris.) The debris does not even have to be very large to cause damage – even paint stains have been shown to damage the spacecraft windows.
The problem of space junk only gets worse, like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Amazon’s Project Kuiper race to launch thousands of satellites in a job to offer cheap internet. Meanwhile, astronomers also concern expressed that these satellite constellations may be possible disrupt their ability to observe the cosmos. It’s unclear how many wood satellites would alleviate the problem, but hey, it should be better than putting more metal garbage in there.