LingoSat: Wooden Satellite

LingoSat, the world’s first wooden satellite, has been launched into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS). A joint effort by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, this 10 cm, 900-gram satellite is made from Honeki Magnolia wood using traditional Japanese joinery. Designed to study wood’s performance in extreme space conditions, LingoSat prioritises sustainability by ensuring it burns harmlessly upon re-entry, avoiding space debris. Its lightweight, non-radio wave-interfering properties make wood a promising material for future satellites. If successful, LingoSat could pave the way for eco-friendly innovations in space technology, emphasizing renewable materials for aerospace applications.