Space satellites are usually made of aluminum, titanium, alloys or other composite materials.
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The University of Kyoto is preparing to test variously treated types of wood in demanding conditions on Earth. “The next phase of the research will be to create a satellite model,” said university professor and former Japanese astronaut Takao Doi.
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Kyoto University is teaming up with a Japanese forestry company to develop wooden satellites to shoot into orbit by 2023 in an effort to cut down on space junk, the BBC reported on Monday. This will be the world’s first satellites made out of wood.https://t.co/c8dxLzF260 pic.twitter.com/Tfco1oa5L1
– Jatin Kaushik (@ JatinKa24976811) December 30, 2020
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According to researchers, the construction of wooden satellites could help solve the problem of space debris. “We are very concerned that the satellites will burn up when they return to the atmosphere and form a large number of small aluminum parts, which will then float in the higher atmosphere for several years,” Doi told A Independent.
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According to researchers, satellites made of wood would burn completely without leaving harmful or dangerous parts.
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Most satellites around the Earth are no longer working
Experts warn of the growing danger of garbage in space, reports BBC News. Space debris usually consists of already non-functional satellites or other bodies launched into space. According to the World Economic Forum, there are 6,000 satellites orbiting the Earth, 60 percent of which are inoperative.
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Concerns about the accumulation of space debris are growing due to the increasing number of bodies being launched from Earth into space. Euroconsult estimates that almost a thousand satellites will be launched into space over the next ten years.
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The expansion of the so-called small satellites also contributes to the growth in the number of launched bodies. For example, as part of the Starlink project of American billionaire Elon Musk and his company SpaceX, almost a thousand satellites have been launched into orbit since 2019 to guarantee worldwide coverage of fast internet. Thousands more of these satellites are to be launched in the coming years.
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OneWeb, for example, has similar intentions as SpaceX.
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