Japan launches world’s first wooden satellite into orbit to combat space debris pollution
- Marijan Hassan - Tech Journalist
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
A new era of "sustainable spaceflight" officially began this week as the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, successfully transitioned from the International Space Station (ISS) into its independent orbit. Developed by researchers at Kyoto University and the logging giant Sumitomo Forestry, the palm-sized cube is designed to prove that renewable timber can replace the polluting aluminum alloys currently standard in satellite manufacturing.
The mission is more than a novelty; it is a critical test of whether the space industry can solve its "metallic smog" problem before the upper atmosphere is permanently altered.
Magnolia in orbit
LignoSat isn't just a block of wood. It is a precision-engineered 10cm CubeSat crafted from Honoki (Japanese Magnolia).
While wood rots or burns on Earth, space is a surprisingly friendly environment for timber. With no oxygen to fuel fire and no water or bacteria to cause rot, researchers believe wood could actually be more stable in orbit than some metals.
In a nod to Japan’s heritage, the satellite was assembled using traditional wood joinery, a technique that relies on intricate interlocking joints rather than screws, glues, or chemicals that might "off-gas" in a vacuum.
Magnolia was selected after a 240-day exposure test on the ISS, where it outperformed cherry and birch by showing zero cracking, peeling, or dimensional warping despite the extreme radiation.
The "metallic smog" solution
The primary driver behind LignoSat is environmental protection.
When traditional satellites reach the end of their life, they dive into the atmosphere and vaporize. This creates millions of tiny aluminum oxide particles that linger in the stratosphere for years, potentially thinning the ozone layer and reflecting sunlight in ways that could interfere with Earth's thermal balance.
On the other hand, LignoSat is designed to burn up completely and cleanly upon re-entry, producing only a harmless spray of fine, biodegradable ash.
And unlike metal, wood does not block radio waves. This allows the satellite’s antennas to be placed inside the wooden shell, simplifying the design and reducing the risk of external components breaking off and becoming space junk.
Six months of cosmic data
For the next six months, LignoSat will circle the Earth, enduring temperature swings ranging from -100°C to 100°C every 90 minutes.
The satellite is packed with instruments measuring the expansion and contraction of the wood, internal temperature fluctuations, and the degradation of the electronic components housed inside.
Former astronaut Takao Doi, a professor at Kyoto University, views this as a proof-of-concept for the 2030s. "If we can prove timber works," Doi stated, "we can build houses and work in space using materials we grow ourselves."
The LignoSat 2 roadmap
Even as the first LignoSat begins its journey, the team is already looking toward LignoSat 2. Planned for a late 2026 launch, the second-generation model will be twice the size (a 2U CubeSat) and will test more advanced internal electronics protected by even thicker magnolia shielding.
