Japan’s Wooden Satellite Survived Orbit for 116 Days. Now Scientists Want a Better Version

Japan’s Wooden Satellite Survived Orbit for 116 Days. Now Scientists Want a Better Version

With lessons learned from their first attempt, Kyoto University scientists hope a second CubeSat made of magnolia will spark an age of wooden spacecraft.

A New Satellite Material Comes Out of the Woodwork

Takao Doi’s dream is to go to the Moon and plant a tree. The former astronaut is inspired by ancient wooden shrines and temples in Kyoto, Japan, that have lasted more than a thousand years. “If we can use wood in space, we might be able to have sustainable space development forever,” said Doi, a professor at Ryukoku University. The idea of a wooden space age gained traction last year with the launch of LignoSat, the world’s first wooden satellit…