In a pioneering space mission, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched LignoSat, a satellite constructed from wood, into Earth's orbit in December 2024. This innovative approach aims to assess the viability of wood as a sustainable alternative to traditional satellite materials.

In December 2024, five CubeSats deployed into Earth's orbit from the International Space Station. Among them was LignoSat, a wooden satellite from JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) that investigates the use of wood in space.

Internal view of LignoSat's structure shows the relationship among wooden panels, aluminum frames, and stainless-steel shafts.Credit: Kyoto

The world's first wooden satellite has officially been deployed. Built by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the timber-clad device hitched a ride on a SpaceX mission which brought it to the International Space Station last November.

Carefully crafted wooden box, LignoSat, is on its own Japan's wooden satellite, LignoSat, has been deployed into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS).… LignoSat was sent to the ISS in November 2024 on a mission to demonstrate that wood could be a viable material from which to build spacecraft.