Japanese scientists launched LignoSat, the first wooden satellite in history, on Tuesday to test the viability of using wood in space.  The wooden satellite, LignoSat, was built in collaboration with Kyoto University and homebuilder Sumitomo Forestry and launched on a SpaceX mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The satellite will sit about 400 kilometers above the ground.  In order to evaluate the feasibility of using a renewable resource for future space exploration and habitation, the mini-satellite was launched. Takao Doi, a professor at Kyoto University and an astronaut, sees wood as a renewable resource that will enable long-term human habitation in space. 

According to Doi, “With timber, a material we can produce ourselves, we can build houses, live, and work in space indefinitely.” ~ ( Source: Google Images) 

Wooden Aircraft is the Inspiration Behind this Rare 

Approach ~ 

When Mind takes Unique Perspectives Towards Mudane ways of science ~ (Source: Google Images) 

The scientists' team created LignoSat using Honoki wood, a Japanese magnolia species traditionally used for sword sheaths. The decision was made following a 10-month ISS study that confirmed the Honoki's durability in space. The Doi's team is preparing for an ambitious 50-year strategy to send timber structures to the Moon and Mars. The spacecraft is developed with a NASA-certified wooden satellite that validates wood as a material suitable for space.

The spacecraft will assess the wood's resistance to the hostile space environment during its six-month orbit around the Earth. The space's temperature fluctuates sharply between -100 and 100 degrees Celsius, putting the wood's resilience to harsh environments to the test. The wood's capacity to shield semiconductor components from cosmic radiation will also be examined while it is in orbit, assisting with future space data center designs.

Maybe a Strong Substitute For 'Metal' ? 

In the Path Towards Making Space Junk Free ~ ( Google Images) 

While wooden satellites have a low environmental impact and emit little pollution, metal satellites release aluminum oxide when they re-enter the atmosphere. Doi thinks that the popularity of wooden replacements could lead to "the ban of metal satellites" in the future.