[Jack Aylmer]
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, A SATELLITE MADE OUT OF WOOD HAS BEEN LAUNCHED INTO SPACE.
THE SMALL BOX WAS LAUNCHED MONDAY ALONGSIDE A SPACEX MISSION, BOUND FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
ONCE THE SATELLITE, NAMED LIGNOSAT (LIG-NO-SAT) IS RELEASED INTO ORBIT, SCIENTISTS WILL BEGIN TO MEASURE WHAT THE VACUUM OF SPACE DOES TO THE WOOD.
THEY HOPE THE MATERIAL CAN BE USED FOR OTHER TYPES OF SPACE EXPLORATION AS WELL.
[Takao Doi]
“If we can use materials that humans can make and bring them to outer space, people will be able to create a sustainable society. Therefore, we want to find out if wood can be used in space or not, and that’s why we made this wooden satellite.”
[Jack Aylmer]
THE GROUP OF SCIENTISTS FROM KYOTO UNIVERSITY SEE USING WOOD FOR STRUCTURES ON THE SURFACE OF A FOREIGN PLANET AS WELL.
WITHOUT OXYGEN OR WATER ON THE SURFACE OF OTHER PLANETS, WOOD WOULDN’T DECAY LIKE IT DOES ON EARTH.
JAPANESE MAGNOLIA WOOD IS BEING USED FOR ITS HIGH RESISTANCE TO SHATTERING
RESEARCHERS ALSO SAY THESE SATELLITES WOULD BURN UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE, LESSENING POLLUTION CAUSED AT THE END OF A SATELLITE’S LIFE.
IF THE PROJECT SUCCEEDS, THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY COULD BE A STEPPING STONE TOWARDS GROWING WOOD FOR HOMES ON THE MOON OR EVEN MARS SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE.
FOR SAN, I’M JACK AYLMER.