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Prelims level: LignoSat Satellite
Why in the News?
The world’s first wood-panelled satellite, LignoSat, was recently launched to test the use of timber as a renewable material for future space missions.
About LignoSat Satellite:
| Details | |
| Purpose | To test the potential of wood as a renewable building material in space applications. |
| Developed By | Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry of Japan. |
| Launch Details | Launched on November 5 aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule. |
| Mission Duration | Spend a month at the International Space Station (ISS) before being deployed into Earth’s orbit for six months to test its performance. |
| Size and Weight | Measures 4 inches (10 cm) per side and weighs 900 grams. |
| Material | Built with magnolia wood panels, using a traditional Japanese technique that avoids screws and glue. |
| Construction | Combines wood-panel casings with aluminium structures and standard electronic components. |
| Durability Testing | Designed to withstand extreme temperature fluctuations in space, ranging from -100 to 100 degrees Celsius every 45 minutes. |
LignoSat as a Renewable Solution for Space Construction
- Reduced Environmental Impact: Unlike conventional aluminium-based satellites, LignoSat reduces pollutants like aluminium oxides that damage the ozone layer upon re-entry.
- Sustainable Material: Wood is a renewable, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant material in space, as there is no water or oxygen to accelerate degradation.
- Long-Term Vision: The satellite could pave the way for sustainable space construction, with future plans to use wood in building structures on the Moon and Mars.
- Mitigating Orbital Congestion: As satellite constellations grow, sustainable materials like wood could help reduce space debris and pollution in Earth’s orbit.
PYQ:[2016] With reference to ‘AstroSat’, the astronomical observatory launched by India, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Other than USA and Russia, India is the only country to have launched a similar observatory into space. 2. AstroSat is a 2000 kg satellite placed in an orbit at 1650 km above the surface of the Earth. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
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