Japan and NASA plan to launch the world's first wooden satellite, LignoSat, made from magnolia wood, this summer to explore biodegradable materials in space.

Japan and NASA plan to launch LignoSat, the world's first wooden satellite, made from magnolia wood, this summer. Designed by Japanese scientists from Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, LignoSat aims to explore the feasibility of using biodegradable materials in space and reduce the environmental impact of traditional satellite construction. Wooden satellites, like LignoSat, would produce only biodegradable ash upon re-entry, addressing concerns about metal satellites contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer.