Japan hatches plan to launch wooden satellites in bizarre world first

Scientists from Kyoto University teamed up a forestry company in order to investigate how wood could be used in space. The aim is to prevent pollution in the upper atmosphere which occurs when conventional satellites burn up on re-entry.

Trending

Takao Doi, a former International Space Station astronaut, told the BBC his team are “very concerned” about the miniscule “alumina particles” that accumulate in Earth’s atmosphere when satellites return.

These particles can remain in the atmosphere for “many years,” he added. In contrast, the wooden satellites would allegedly burn up in a cleaner way.

The researchers are keeping the specific types of wood they are using a secret. Still, it is understood they are set to trial different types thanks to their partnership with Sumitomo Forestry.

Japanese researchers say satellites polliute the atmosphere when they burn up (Image: PaulFleet / Getty)

However, some analysts have hit out at the reports. John Timmer, a reporter for tech news site Ars Technica, has claimed the wooden housing “won’t help” eliminate the issue of space junk.

Mr Timmer claimed the satellite housing only makes up “a fraction” of the material used in the satellite overall, and that other vital components such as boosters constitute “a lot of the junk” in space.

Elsewhere other analysts suggest wooden satellites could have benefits aside from ‘green’ re-entry incineration.

READ: US Space Force dismisses viral ‘Guardians’ of the galaxy outfit as fake

Some analysts suggest a wooden satellite exterior could have benefits for communication (Image: Jonathan Herbert I JH Images / Getty)

Nikkei Asia claims wood would not act as a barrier for electromagnetic waves.

This suggests wooden satellites wouldn’t need to make use of external antennas to communicate, “allowing for simpler structures”.

In any case, the issue of space pollution is not a new one.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

S29. The Enigmatic Divide: Exploring Why the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Don’t Mix. S29

Image
The world’s oceaпs, vast aпd mysterioυs, hold maпy secrets withiп their depths. Amoпg their eпigmatic woпders is the pecυliar pheпomeпoп of the Atlaпtic aпd Pacific Oceaпs steadfastly maiпtaiпiпg their boυпdaries, resistiпg the υrge to iпtermiпgle oп a graпd scale. Iп this article, we delve iпto the captivatiпg reasoпs behiпd the distiпctiveпess of these two mighty bodies of water. Oпe crυcial aspect that keeps the Atlaпtic aпd Pacific Oceaпs apart lies iп the disparity of their water deпsities. Seawater deпsity is iпflυeпced by variables like temperatυre, saliпity, aпd pressυre. The Atlaпtic Oceaп boasts higher saliпity levels, primarily dυe to its sigпificaпt freshwater iпflυx from rivers. Coпversely, the Pacific Oceaп hosts larger areas of lower saliпity waters, coυrtesy of factors like raiпfall aпd meltiпg ice. This divergeпce iп deпsity creates a пatυral barrier, impediпg the seamless mixiпg of the two oceaпs. Oceaп cυrreпts play a pivotal role iп shapiпg t...
Read more

A Mysterious Object 570 billion times brighter than the sun has been found by astronomers

Image
There is a massive ball of hot gas billions of light-years distant that is brighter than hundreds of billions of suns. [ This is an updated version of the previous article. ] It’s difficult to envision anything so bright. So, what exactly is it? Astronomers aren’t sure, but they do have a few theories. They believe it is a magnetar, a kind of supernova that is so strong that it pushes the energy boundaries of physics, or the most powerful supernova ever witnessed as of today. Astronomers are struggling to find a way to characterize this object since it is so bright . “If it’s a magnetar, it’s as if nature took everything we know about magnetars and turned it up to 11,” said Krzysztof Stanek, professor of Astronomy at Ohio State University and the team’s co-principal investigator. The All-Sky Automated Survey of Supernovae (ASAS-SN or “assassin”), a compact network of telescopes meant to locate luminous things in the cosmo...
Read more

Myanmar violence and sea disputes to dominate ASEAN talks joined by US, Russian and Chinese envoys

Myanmar’s prolonged civil strife, tensions in the disputed South China Sea and concern over arms buildups in the region are expected to dominate the agenda when Southeast Asia’s top diplomats gather for talks this week in Indonesia JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Myanmar’s prolonged civil strife, tensions in the disputed South China Sea and concern over arms buildups in the region are expected to dominate the agenda when Southeast Asia’s top diplomats gather for talks this week in Indonesia. Russia's year-old invasion of Ukraine and the U.S.-China rivalry will also be under the spotlight as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang participate as dialogue partners of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. North Korea has yet to say whether its foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, will attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, an annual regional security meeting. It's ...
Read more