Japan's Pioneering Wooden Satellite LignoStella Takes Shape

Japanese researchers develop the world's first satellite made from wood.

[{"selector":"#anim-4f028bf1-6961-4eef-8f04-56fdf88c6891","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-327c1633-98db-494b-97cb-3bf11f2743d9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -128.825%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6e0882fc-4e7d-4ec6-962a-149b12682a64","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f98ccf4d-2f88-4270-a552-2ed5a77f3243","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.96751%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Wood proves durable and unaffected by cosmic rays and solar particles during 10 months in space.

[{"selector":"#anim-ff9dafe5-61ee-4753-8056-afd4b466b08e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7c66e996-b214-4755-8d05-44b54441c215","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -128.825%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43a0cb11-612e-40b6-8543-62c74b63c0db","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6dc6a495-794e-45b8-924d-3aa2888ad87a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.96751%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Collaboration with Kyoto University, JAXA, and Sumitomo Forestry paves the way for wooden satellite development.

[{"selector":"#anim-22a5ddd1-bfa2-485e-8938-172a4fde487c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b69f2e83-e79a-4e4a-a06a-dcfa0515ac08","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -128.825%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-656d3e20-9ee9-4acc-b0c7-eca3c37e3cce","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d692d9c0-ceab-46a4-bf62-36977ae4809a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.96751%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Wooden satellite named LignoStella to be constructed, replacing aluminum parts.

[{"selector":"#anim-51ab3df8-b5b8-425d-b90a-79fe063d7846","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e10b5edf-7fc2-4b4a-9f04-2d35618281b1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -128.825%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c54bcbaf-39d3-46f2-bdc8-73b4f3b1b37f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4ae072d0-e7d5-4dd1-8deb-8b1ef4c6f941","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.96751%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Magnolia wood selected as the most durable material for the experimental satellite.

[{"selector":"#anim-100f6979-2a71-4afe-9606-0599775cc4f6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f37fa1ed-78c4-406b-ae11-5ba1d80f2fd3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -128.825%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a72b3863-8c44-4e75-b6c4-9a53800389a7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4aae37c2-8254-4b59-89e5-687c7dc380c1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.96751%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Wood's durability in space could lead to simpler and more reliable satellite designs.

[{"selector":"#anim-e0e7a193-9727-4bc2-8462-17e063f9054c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b49c61aa-52d2-40d5-b496-225cca275ffd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -128.825%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9dd12ff2-60a1-481b-afbd-1dba66e588bc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c31eafd7-9fee-4f05-a0c5-edb37900f241","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.96751%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Wood's use as a building material gains attention for its sustainability and benefits in small satellite designs.

[{"selector":"#anim-a7fd1e89-f3f6-4e8e-9a88-94557774c52f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-383f32b1-8e4d-45f9-ae00-f64e224ceb14","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -128.825%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3bdb2ed8-8811-4db0-9843-80c0789931f5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-50b8e0e0-761d-4953-ab44-a1e54c356ff3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.96751%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Wood samples pass strength tests and structural analyses aboard the ISS's Japanese Experiment Module.

[{"selector":"#anim-94d1efcc-78d1-4258-8761-fb276deacb7d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3c85f050-8df5-4d11-8951-8fddab76b10d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -128.825%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5372c3db-7634-4838-b785-5f02ed76e97a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-28286855-0341-4903-bc65-a82d0a554d1d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.96751%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Wood's advantages include complete burning upon reentry, preventing space debris.

[{"selector":"#anim-150ca94a-dfe4-4aad-8c6f-3d6f189704a5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-edf4e39d-6880-414e-8afb-b9f2ea38bc8d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -128.825%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4d38c681-b5fd-4816-80f4-a60da4d4d3b6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-14332105-7895-4c76-a756-df8e8885a58b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.96751%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] All Image: Google.com