Japanese scientists are heralding a “cutting-edge technology” that could fuel humans’ expansion into space: wood. As we look to establish a presence on the moon and Mars, renewable resources will be key, meaning metal must move to the side. There’s also the matter of space pollution. According to scientists at Kyoto University, the burn-up of metal satellites leaves behind aluminum oxide particles that can damage the environment and telecommunications. Their solution? A satellite made with wood—specifically wood from the honoki magnolia tree native to Japan. Now bound for the International Space Station on an unmanned SpaceX flight, the 4-inch wood-paneled cube will test whether the material is truly space-grade, per Reuters.
The experimental satellite dubbed LignoSat, after the Latin word for wood, will go into orbit about 250 miles above Earth for six months. Its onboard sensors will monitor how its wood panels react to the environment of space, including space radiation, and if all goes well, researchers expect wood, a renewable resource, to replace more metal materials used in space, the BBC reports. “Wood is more durable in space than on Earth because there’s no water or oxygen that would rot or inflame it,” Kyoto University forest science professor Koji Murata tells Reuters. “Early 1900s airplanes were made of wood,” he adds, so “a wooden satellite should be feasible, too.”
To be clear, LignoSat isn’t made entirely of wood. It includes aluminum structures and electronic components inside the wood-paneled box. Experts note wood is unlikely to be used for critical spacecraft parts, especially those in which strength is important. But “satellites that are not made of metal should become mainstream,” says Takao Doi, an astronaut and Kyoto University researcher, per the Guardian. Indeed, “metal satellites might be banned in the future,” he tells Reuters. “If we can prove our first wooden satellite works, we want to pitch it to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.” Beyond satellites, researchers hope trees might eventually be grown on the moon or Mars, providing renewable building materials for a sustainable life in space. (More space stories.)