--- title: "Astronauts Release Wooden Satellite From Space Station" description: "Built by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the first wooden satellite has been deployed from the Space Station." date: "2025-01-09" modified: "2025-01-09" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/astronauts-release-wooden-satellite-from-space-station" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "JAXA" - "satellites" - "space" - "the digest" --- # Astronauts Release Wooden Satellite From Space Station ![Built by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the first wooden satellite has been deployed from the Space Station.]() *\Image: Kyoto University / NASA / Futurism\* ## Here We Go The world's first wooden satellite has officially been deployed. Built by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the timber-clad device was sent to International Space Station [last November](). Now, NASA [says that]() the tiny satellite, dubbed LignoSat, was finally released into the wild last month, in an experiment that will explore the viability of using wood in space — which if fruitful, could offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional metal components. "With timber, a material we can produce by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live and work in space forever," Takao Doi, a former JAXA astronaut who studies human space activities at Kyoto University, [told *Reuters*]() last year. ## Lumber Why LignoSat, named after the Latin word for wood, is a type of CubeSat — a small, box shaped satellite that can typically be held in one hand. Compact as it is, it's a meticulously crafted device. It uses no screws, nails, or glue. Instead, using a Japanese woodworking technique called "sashimono," the wooden components are held together by an intricate marrying of complex joints, fashioned and assembled by master carpenters in Kyoto, [per ]()[*The New York Times*](). The wood's source was also carefully chosen after a nearly year-long experiment aboard the ISS: honoki, a type of magnolia tree whose wood is traditionally used for sword sheaths, according to *Reuters*. "Nobody had ever thought about using wood for rocket science before," Koji Murata, a forest science professor at Kyoto University told the *NYT*. "Many engineers thought wood was old technology and couldn't be applied to cutting-edge technology." ## Tree Fallin' The hope is that in space, wood will have several advantages. It won't deteriorate like it does on Earth, because there's no water or oxygen that would rot or inflame the material, Murata explained to *Reuters*. Moreover, using wood to construct satellites theoretically makes them safer to decommission. Right now, metal satellites are deorbited by re-entering the atmosphere, where they are supposed to burn up completely. But this isn't always the case, with large chunks of spacecraft often surviving and [dangerously]() [crashing down to Earth](). In the long run, tiny shards and particles of metal, some of which may be toxic, can also [pollute the atmosphere](). With wood, though, there's no risk of dangerous debris, the scientists argue — it burns completely. "Metal satellites might be banned in the future," Doi told *Reuters*. "If we can prove our first wooden satellite works, we want to pitch it to Elon Musk's SpaceX." And perhaps in the distant future, offworld outposts could sustain themselves by planting their own trees, providing an endless supply of construction material. Now that it's been deployed, the plan is for LignoSat to stay in orbit for six months. Onboard sensors will monitor how the wood weathers the conditions of space, including its extremely cold temperatures, and how well the material shields its electronic components from ever present radiation, emitted by the Sun and from deep space. **More on satellites:** *[Scientists Puzzled by Military Satellite That Appears to Have Been Moved to a Distant Location]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()