World’s first wooden satellite launched into space

Tokyo: The world’s first wooden satellite, named LignoSat, has successfully launched into space aboard a SpaceX rocket, marking a significant milestone in space exploration. Developed by researchers at Kyoto University in Japan, the satellite is part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

The satellite, installed in a special container prepared by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, "flew into space safely", it said in a post on X.

A step toward eco-friendly satellites

LignoSat is made from a special wooden material and measures just 10 centimetres (4 inches) on each side. The developers aim to use this wooden material to prevent the release of harmful metal particles when the satellite re-enters Earth's atmosphere. 

Launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard an unmanned rocket, LignoSat was installed in a special container provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The satellite is now safely in space, and researchers are eagerly awaiting data from it.

A spokesperson for LignoSat’s co-developer, Sumitomo Forestry, confirmed the success of the launch. Data will be transmitted back to Earth, allowing scientists to monitor the satellite's condition and assess how it withstands the extreme temperatures of space. It "will arrive at the ISS soon, and will be released to outer space about a month later" to test its strength and durability, she said.

"Satellites that are not made of metal should become mainstream," Takao Doi, an astronaut and special professor at Kyoto University, said at a press conference earlier this year.

Agency