--- title: "Scientists Preparing to Launch Wooden Satellite" description: "Japanese scientists say they've proven wood might just be a durable in-orbit material — and now, plan to build a satellite with it." date: "2023-05-20" modified: "2023-05-20" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-wooden-satellite" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "satellites" - "space debris" - "sustainability" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Preparing to Launch Wooden Satellite ![Japanese scientists say they've proven wood might just be a durable in-orbit material — and now, plan to build a satellite with it.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Wood Ya Look at That In what could be a sustainability breakthrough in the space economy, a team of scientists from Kyoto University and Japanese logging startup Sumitomo Forestry [say they've demonstrated]() that wood might just be a durable in-orbit material. This project has been in the works for a while now. The partnership was [first announced back in 2020](), and in March of last year, the team coupled up with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to send three types of wood to the International Space Station (ISS) to test each type's off-world resilience. "Wood's ability to withstand simulated low earth orbit — or LEO — conditions astounded us," Koji Murata, the leader of the effort and a Kyoto University researcher, [said at the time](). "We now want to see if we can accurately estimate the effects of the harsh LEO environment on organic materials." Once they made it to the ISS, the samples were placed in JAXA's Kibo module, where they stayed for roughly ten months. And as of last week, the results are finally in — and apparently, it was a grand success. As a result, according to a [press release](), the scientists are hoping to launch their first full-blown wooden satellite into orbit next year. ## Magnolia, Sweet Thing As far as the winning type of wood goes, magnolia was found to be the most resilient, with the scientists confirming there to be "no decomposition or deformations, such as cracking, warping, peeling, or surface damage " and almost no change in weight in the returned sample, according to the release. That's a pretty remarkable feat, considering the harsh temperatures and high levels of radiation characteristic of the final frontier. ## Trees, Please From military applications to high-speed internet, society very much relies on satellites. But for how much we rely on them, satellites pose a lot of real concerns, both to Earth's internal and external environments. Like most other spacecraft, when satellites die, they often turn into very expensive trash. And when dying satellites fall back into Earth's atmosphere, they burn aluminum — another serious issue, considering that high levels of burning aluminum could ultimately [rip a new hole in our atmosphere ozone](). All to say, transitioning to wooden satellites could be a best-of-both-worlds solution to the growing satellite issue. Fingers crossed that a [wooden space station]() is next. **More on wood:** [*Scientists Are Officially Launching a Wooden Satellite*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()