Researchers from Kyoto University are developing a wooden satellite that would burn up completely at the end of its life in bid to reduce space waste.

Jennifer Hahn

Researchers from Kyoto University are developing a satellite made from wood that would burn up completely at the end of its life to reduce the amount of human-made waste floating in space.

Set to launch in 2023, the LignoSat satellite will have a shell made of timber, allowing it to burn up completely as it re-enters the earth’s atmosphere.

The project is a collaboration with Japanese logging company Sumitomo Forestry and aims to tackle the growing amount of space hardware that is floating in our planet’s orbit despite no longer being functional.

Alongside millions of pieces of debris, this includes more than 34,000 larger units such as discarded rocket stages and 2,550 of earth’s 5,850 satellites, which are now defunct.

While they are in still orbit, these are hazards to passing spacecraft and functioning satellites.Above: NASA has created a CGI image to visualise the amount of debris in low Earth orbit. Top image: LignoSat is set to be the world’s first wooden satellite

According to Takao Doi, the former astronaut who is leading the team at Kyoto University, once the debris re-enters the atmosphere it can release small particles of alumina, also known as aluminium oxide, into the atmosphere as it burns.

“We are very concerned with the fact that all the satellites which re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn and create tiny alumina particles which will float in the upper atmosphere for many years,” Doi told the BBC. “Eventually it will affect the environment of the Earth.”[…]

More: Kyoto University develops world’s first wooden satellite