Japan developing wooden satellites to cut space junk

Space junk is becoming an increasing problem as more satellites are launched into the atmosphere and to tackle this problem, a Japanese company and Kyoto University will be collaborating to develop be the world's first wooden satellites by 2023, reports BBC.

Sumitomo Forestry, a Japanese logging and processing company, said that it has started began research on tree growth and the use of wood materials in space.

The reason for choosing wood is that satellites made out of the fibrous structural tissue would not release harmful substances into the atmosphere nor will they cause a rain of debris into the atmosphere when hitting the Earth atmosphere. Instead, they would burn up.

"We are very concerned with the fact that all the satellites which re-enter the Earth's atmosphere burn and create tiny alumina particles which will float in the upper atmosphere for many years," said Takao Doi, a professor at Kyoto University and Japanese astronaut.

He added that it would eventually affect the earth's environment.

"The next stage will be developing the engineering model of the satellite, then we will manufacture the flight model," Professor Doi further stated.

As an astronaut he visited the International Space Station in March 2008 and during this mission, he became the first person to throw a boomerang in space that had been specifically designed for use in microgravity.

Sumitomo Forestry, part of the Sumitomo Group, which was founded more than 400 years ago, said it would work on developing wooden materials highly resistant to temperature changes and sunlight. The wood it is using is an "R&D secret," according to BBC.

Space junk

Experts have warned of the increasing threat of space junk falling to Earth, as more spacecraft and satellites are launched.

Satellites are increasingly being used for communication, television, navigation and weather forecasting. Space experts and researchers have been investigating different options to remove and reduce space junk.

There are nearly 6,000 satellites circling Earth, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). About 60% of them are defunct (space junk).

Research firm Euroconsult estimates that 990 satellites will be launched every year this decade, which means that by 2028, there could be 15,000 satellites in orbit.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has already launched more than 900 Starlink satellites and has plans to deploy thousands more.

Space junk travels at an incredibly fast speed of more than 22,300 mph, so can have caused considerable damage to any objects it hits.

In 2006 a tiny piece of space junk collided with the International Space Station, taking a chip out of the heavily reinforced window.