Less scrap metal:

Researchers sent satellites made of wood into space

When it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, the wooden satellite is supposed to burn up completely.(Bild: AFP/JIJI PRESS/STR)

Japanese researchers have sent a satellite made of wood into space for the first time. The mini-satellite was launched into space from the Kennedy Space Center in the US state of Florida on a rocket from the aerospace company SpaceX, as its designers from Kyoto University and the timber company Sumitomo Forestry announced on Tuesday.

The cube-shaped satellite made of magnolia wood with an edge length of only ten centimeters was safely flown into space in a special container built by the Japanese space agency Jaxa, as the institutions involved in the project explained. A spokeswoman for Sumitomo Forestry confirmed the "successful" launch.

The first destination of the satellite named Lignosat is the International Space Station (ISS). After about a month in the Japanese research module, it will then be released into space to test its durability, the company spokesperson said. Using data that the satellite itself will send to Earth, the researchers want to check whether it can withstand stresses such as extreme temperature fluctuations.

Complete burning up
When it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, the wooden satellite will then burn up completely. In this way, unlike with conventional satellites, no metal particles will be released that could have a negative impact on the environment and telecommunications.

Takao Doi with the lignosat(Bild: APA/JIJI PRESS/STR)

"Satellites that are not made of metal should become the standard," said astronaut Takao Doi, a researcher at Kyoto University, when the project was presented in May.