A satellite made of wood

BBC reports that a company and a university in Japan Satellite design made of wood.

Regardless of the request, Qualities of a hipster For such a noble material, what is the point? One benefit: when the satellite shuts down and burns on re-entry, it could theoretically launch Less toxic crap in the atmosphere …

Space waste is becoming an increasing problem as more satellites are launched into the atmosphere.

Wooden satellites will burn out without releasing harmful substances into the atmosphere or raining debris onto the ground when they sink back to Earth.

“We are very concerned about the fact that all the satellites entering the Earth’s atmosphere are burning up and creating small alumina particles that will float in the upper atmosphere for many years,” said Takao Doi, a professor at Kyoto University and a Japanese astronaut. BBC.

“Ultimately it will affect the Earth’s environment.”

The problem of unwanted space is definitely exploding. I recently reported a big article about the privatization of outer space for The New RepublicAnd the And I’ve received admiration from concerned scientists about SpaceX’s plans to send tens of thousands of new satellites in the coming years.

Popular Mechanics He wrote a brief history of the use of wood in spacecraft (There have been several experiments, including heat shields), he noted Another benefit:

There may be some benefits of wrapping the load in wooden case. Nikki Asia It is also noted that unlike metal, wood will not block the electromagnetic waves that satellites use to communicate. If this is the case, scientists may be able to hide the antenna and other parts of the hardware inside the wooden case.

(This Licensed photo of wood above – It has nothing to do with building satellites! It’s just … wood! – Courtesy Yuya Tamai stream on Flickr)