In Japan, researchers at Kyoto University hope to launch the first biodegradable satellite into space in 2024. They hope the use of renewable materials will one day help mitigate the growing problem of space waste.
The first satellite—dubbed LignoSat—will be about the size of a coffee mug and incinerate when it reenters Earth’s atmosphere.
Favorable results have already been demonstrated with materials testing. “Three wood specimens were tested and showed no deformation after space exposure,” the team said. “Despite the extreme environment of outer space involving significant temperature changes and exposure to intense cosmic rays and dangerous solar particles for 10 months, tests confirmed no decomposition or deformations, such as cracking, warping, peeling, or surface damage.”
Nearly 100,000 tons of space waste are currently orbiting the Earth.