Earth has its first wooden satellite, launched by astronauts from the ISS. Check out the photos!

Astronauts have launched the world's first wooden satellite, LignoSat, into low Earth orbit from the International Space Station (ISS). It was delivered to the ISS in November last year and has now begun its orbit around Earth at an altitude of approximately 400 km, reports Futurism.

The tiny wooden satellite LignoSat is a cube with a side length of 10 cm, filled with electronics. This marks the first wooden satellite ever sent into space, now orbiting our planet.

LignoSat was created by scientists from Kyoto University (Japan) in collaboration with engineers from Sumitomo Forestry, using magnolia wood. Experiments conducted at the ISS have shown that this type of wood is the most suitable for constructing satellites, as well as for future building projects on the Moon and Mars.

The primary goal of this mission, which will last approximately six months, is to demonstrate that wood can be utilized in the construction of spacecraft and serves as a viable alternative to the metals typically used in modern satellites.

According to Japanese scientists, no one had previously considered using wood for satellite manufacturing. It is believed that wood offers several advantages over metals commonly used in satellites. It is less prone to corrosion and exhibits greater durability under space conditions. Researchers aim to test this during the ongoing LignoSat mission.

Additionally, scientists believe that wooden satellites represent a better alternative to metal satellites, as the latter burn up in Earth's atmosphere after decommissioning, causing pollution. Sometimes, fragments of satellites do not completely burn up and fall to the planet's surface. However, wooden satellites are expected to not pollute the atmosphere and should completely incinerate within it.

Sensors aboard LignoSat will monitor how the wood withstands the conditions of space, including low temperatures, and how well the material protects electronic components from continuous cosmic and solar radiation. The sensors will also track any potential deformation of the wooden satellite and how the Earth's magnetic field may affect the electronics inside.