Interesting article about a satellite made of wood going into space. The article says it is made using traditional Japanese techniques with no screws or glue.
A wooden satellite
- Thread starter Bill Clemmons
- Start date
LignoSat 
I agree. I can't imagine organic material like wood holding up that well to cosmic radiation. They did however pitch it as something someone like Musk would be interested in- for satellite constellations where periodic replacement is baked in by design.
That said I wouldn't think for a mass produced satellite like a starlink the price of the satellite chassis would be that much of a factor compared to other costs. Also, the "lignosat" they mention is tiny- I wonder how a larger satellite would fare due to wood movement?
Per a Google search (which could well be wrong) a Forbes article said that per unit costs were "under $300000" when launched 9 at a time. Given the costs of rocketry even in a spaceX era, I would assume the cost of the frame itself is peanuts compared to the electronics, telemetry, and nevermind the costs of launch. I doubt that's an area they're looking to compromise on.
That said I wouldn't think for a mass produced satellite like a starlink the price of the satellite chassis would be that much of a factor compared to other costs. Also, the "lignosat" they mention is tiny- I wonder how a larger satellite would fare due to wood movement?
Per a Google search (which could well be wrong) a Forbes article said that per unit costs were "under $300000" when launched 9 at a time. Given the costs of rocketry even in a spaceX era, I would assume the cost of the frame itself is peanuts compared to the electronics, telemetry, and nevermind the costs of launch. I doubt that's an area they're looking to compromise on.
Space lacks the things that typically break down wood: oxygen, moisture and creatures (or does it???). And these satellites are also an experiment to see how wood reacts in space to determine if they could be used for additional purposes, like space habitats on the moon... or BEYOND!!!
www.bbc.com
LignoSat: First wood-panelled satellite launched into space
The tiny satellite built in Japan will test the suitability of timber as a renewable material in space.
www.bbc.com
Add to that the temperature in low earth orbit can fluctuate from -100F to 250F in a matter of seconds as it moves from sun to shade. It will be an interesting experiment to see the results.
I wonder what a steak cooked over space charcoal will taste like?
Out of this world.
Possibly gunpowder? What does space smell like?
Actually, there is atomic oxygen in low earth orbit (LEO). Because of the Challenger accident, the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) spent 3 (5?) years on orbit instead of the originally planned 6 months.Space lacks the things that typically break down wood: oxygen, moisture and creatures (or does it???). And these satellites are also an experiment to see how wood reacts in space to determine if they could be used for additional purposes, like space habitats on the moon... or BEYOND!!!
LignoSat: First wood-panelled satellite launched into space
The tiny satellite built in Japan will test the suitability of timber as a renewable material in space.
LDEF was gravity-gradient stabilized so that one end of its cylinder shape always pointed at the earth and one spot on the cylinder always faced forward.
There were some gaps between the LDEF structure and the research panels. That let atomic oxygen travel through the gaps and hit the inside of the structure. When we got it back, there were places on the inside that had been in the shadow of the leading side structure. The black anodize on the aluminum was still dark black where those shadows had been. Where there were not shadows, the anodize had turned gray.
I agree that this will definitely be an interesting experiment - even more so if they retrieve the sat at the end of its service time rather than letting it burn up on reentry.
They finally got around to tossing LignoSat out the window...
www.theregister.com
Japan's wooden satellite leaves International Space Station
Carefully crafted wooden box, LignoSat, is on its own
www.theregister.com
