World’s first wooden satellite, developed in Japan, heads to space

World's First Wooden Satellite Launched Into Space

LignoSat, the world’s first satellite made mostly from wood, reached the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX cargo capsule on November 5, 2024. The palm-sized satellite, named after the Latin word for “wood," will be launched from the ISS into Earth’s orbit later this month. Its mission is to determine if wood can withstand the harsh conditions of space. If successful, LignoSat could pave the way for more environmentally friendly s…

Japan launches the world’s first wooden satellite into space

On November 5, 2024, Japan’s wooden satellite went up into space aboard an unmanned SpaceX rocket to test timber for space exploration. Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry developed the satellite and named it LignoSat, after the Latin word for “wood.”  READ: Could wooden satellites work in space? It uses material from the magnolia tree, which samurai warriors have used for their sword sheaths. Soon, it could be the key to environmentally frie…

Japan just sent the world’s first wooden satellite to space

A Japanese company just built a wooden satellite and sent it to space in order to test the material’s durability. This could pave the way to more space-based structures made from wood.

Japan Launches World’s First Wooden Satellite

The first wooden satellite was launched by Japan on Tuesday. Credits: Royce Bair / CC BY NC ND 2.0 The first wooden satellite was launched by Japan on Tuesday with the goal of testing the effectiveness of wood in space. Japanese researchers from Kyoto University and the homebuilding company Sumitomo Forestry built the wooden satellite LignoSat. On a SpaceX mission, the spacecraft will fly the satellite to the International Space Station (ISS) an…

World’s first wooden satellite launched to space

The tiny cubesat arrived at the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon ship on Tuesday and will be deployed to orbit before the end of this year.

Wooden Satellite Reaches Space for the First Time

Japan's LignoSat will test the durability of wood in low Earth orbit.