World's First Wooden Satellite to be Launched by Japan in 2023
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Runaway1956:
World's first wooden satellite to be launched by Japan in 2023:
TOKYO -- Japanese logging company Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University are planting the seeds for a 2023 launch of the world's first satellite made out of wood.
The partners announced their intentions on Wednesday[, December 23], saying the aim was basic research and proof of concept.
EurAsian Times adds:
Outer space is filled with more than 23,000 known man-made fragments - from dead satellites to errant nuts and bolts - zipping around the planet, posing a threat to working satellites. Currently, there are around 2,500 active satellites orbiting the Earth.
The Japanese company's move assumes significance as it comes at a time when the nations are trying to build eco-friendly satellites to reduce space junk.
[...] The wood will burn up completely without releasing harmful substances into the atmosphere or raining debris on the ground when the wooden satellite will be plunging back to Earth after it de-orbits, the report claims. Debris anyway burns when it enters Earth's atmosphere.
The articles also point out that wood is transparent to electromagnetic radiation, allowing new designs with antenna locations inside the satellite.
Also at BBC.
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