In an early test of the use of wood in lunar and Mars exploration, Japanese researchers launched the world’s first wooden satellite into orbit on Tuesday.
Developed by Kyoto University and homebuilder Sumitomo Forestry, LignoSat will be sent into orbit approximately 400 kilometers above Earth after being transported to the ISS on a SpaceX mission.
As humans investigate space living, the palm-sized LignoSat—named after the Latin word for “wood”—is entrusted with showcasing the renewable material’s cosmic possibilities.
“We will be able to build houses, live, and work in space forever with timber, a material we can produce ourselves,” stated astronaut Takao Doi, who has flown on the Space Shuttle and conducts research on human space activities.
