World’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, launched on SpaceX International Space Station resupply mission

The world's first wooden satellite, LignoSat, has been launched on the 31st SpaceX ISS resupply rocket. Wood can reduce the amount of metal particles left in the atmosphere during satellite reentry. The CubeSat was created by a team of researchers and students at Kyoto University in collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry.

LignoSat, the world’s first wooden satellite, has been launched into space on the 31st SpaceX International Space Station resupply mission on November 4, 2024. The satellite was created by researchers and students at Kyoto University in collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry under the LignoStella (space timber) project. The goal was to investigate the use of more ecological woods to help reduce the generation of unhealthy metal particles in the atmosphere during reentry of end-of-life satellites.

Hinoki wood (Japanese cypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa) from forests owned by Sumitomo Forestry Monbetsu was used in the body of the LignoSat. A traditional joinery method called “Tomega Kakushi Ariku Mitsugi“, which does not use metals or glues, was used to assemble the wood body, while the outer edges were reinforced with aluminum framing. Electronics, solar panels, and antennas were then added to the 1U CubeSat-sized satellite.

The LignoSat was extensively tested during the four-year development, which included testing of wood degradation in space conditions, radio-frequency emissions, and space flight safety. Once docked to the ISS, the LignoSat will remain within the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) for a period of time, then ejected into space for a six-month mission. The mission will test the ability of the wood to withstand space conditions and block space radiation.

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