World's First Wooden Satellite Launched for Space Exploration

Japan has launched a wooden satellite, LignoSat, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to test the viability of wood as a material in space. The 10 cm cubesat, made primarily of wood and solar panels, will orbit for six months, collecting data on temperature, wood expansion, geomagnetism, and hardware performance. The mission, a collaboration between Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, aims to explore the environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness of wooden satellites. LignoSat will be deployed from the ISS's Japanese Experiment Module in December.