A satellite made in Japan from magnolia wood: it burns to ash on its return to Earth * The “death” of space junk [videos]

Japanese scientists have created one of the most unusual spacecraft in the world – a tiny craft Satellite made of wood.

The LignoSat probe is made of magnolia wood, which, in experiments on the International Space Station (ISS), was found to be particularly stable and resistant to cracking. Plans are now being finalized to launch it on a US rocket this summer.

• The wooden satellite was built by researchers at Kyoto University and the Sumitomo Forestry Company to test the idea of ​​using biodegradable materials such as wood to see if they could serve as environmentally friendly alternatives to the metals from which all satellites are made today. .

Takao Doi, a Japanese astronaut and aerospace engineer at Kyoto University, recently warned that “all satellites entering the Earth's atmosphere burn up and produce small particles of alumina, which will float in the upper atmosphere for many years.” “Ultimately, this will affect the Earth's environment.”

NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plan to launch the world's first wooden satellite, called LignoSat, into Earth orbit by the summer of 2024. The coffee-cup-sized satellite is made of magnolia wood, a material that does not burn. Or they rot in space, but they transform… pic.twitter.com/DL1aQ9ZHt1

– Space Fabrics (@SpaceFabrics) November 17, 2023

To address this problem, researchers in Kyoto have begun evaluating wood species to determine how well they can withstand the rigors of space launch and long journeys into Earth's orbit. The first tests were conducted in laboratories simulating conditions in space, and the wood samples showed no measurable changes in mass or signs of decay or damage.

• “We were surprised by the wood’s ability to withstand these conditions,” said Koji Murata, project leader.

After these tests, the samples were sent to the International Space Station, where they underwent exposure tests for about a year before being returned to Earth. Once again they showed little sign of damage, a phenomenon that Murata attributed to the fact that there is no oxygen in space to cause wood to burn, and no organism to cause it to corrode.

Several types of wood were tested, including Japanese cherry Wood from magnolia trees To prove that it is the most durable. Murata said this is the wood that was used to build the wooden satellite in Kyoto, which will undergo a series of experiments that will determine how well the spacecraft will perform in orbit.

• “One of the missions of the satellite is to measure the deformation of a wooden structure in space. Wood is strong and stable in one direction, but may be subject to dimensional changes and cracking in the other direction.

Murata added that a final decision on the launch vehicle has not yet been made, with options now limited to a flight this summer on the Orbital Sciences Cygnus resupply vehicle to the International Space Station or a similar SpaceX Dragon mission later in the year.

• The probe – which is the size of a coffee mug – is expected to operate in space for at least six months before being allowed to enter the upper atmosphere.

If LignoSat performs well in orbit, it could open the door to using wood as a building material for more satellites.

It is estimated that more than 2,000 spacecraft will be launched annually in the coming years, and alumina [οξείδιο του αργιλίου] Which is likely to be deposited in the upper atmosphere as it burns up and upon its return to the atmosphere may soon lead to major environmental problems.

• Recent research conducted by scientists at the University of British Columbia in Canada revealed that alumina from re-entry satellites can cause Severe depletion of the ozone layer Which protects the Earth from the sun's ultraviolet rays and can also affect the amount of sunlight that travels through the atmosphere and reaches the Earth.

However, such a problem would not exist with satellites made of wood, such as lignosat, which when they burn up during their re-entry into the atmosphere after completing their mission, will produce only a fine mist of biodegradable ash.

One of the revolutionary developments in space technology, LignoSat – an environmentally friendly wooden satellite set to be launched by Japan and NASA.#Environmentally friendly #Japan #NASA #nature #Satellites #space #technology pic.twitter.com/mcq0Mw0WKd

– The power of truth (@yogendra767) December 30, 2023

With information from Watchman

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