. 24/7 Space News .
MICROSAT BLITZ
Finnish forestry firm gets approval to launch tiny satellite made of plywood
by Morgan Artyukhina
Moscow (Sputnik) Jul 15, 2021

The WISE WoodSat is a 10 cm CubeSat made from plywood.

A Finnish company has received approval by the European Space Agency to launch a small cubesat made of wood later this year. The novel design is intended to reduce space debris, but its first mission will simply be to test what happens to wood in the cold vacuum of space.

It could become the first wooden object in orbit - it's Woodsat, a test satellite made out of birch-plywood. If successful, it could allow for small satellites that won't contribute to dangerous space debris or rain destructive materials back onto Earth.

"The world's first wooden satellite is now certified for a rocket ride and the final pre-launch phase can begin," Finnish forestry firm UPM announced recently. The company is the maker of the WISA plywood brand.

A cube measuring just 10-centimeters wide, Woodsat will test what happens to a specially treated object made out of plywood as it orbits the Earth for months on end, exposed to circumstances no wooden structure has ever experienced before.

"The satellite was subjected to a rigorous vibration test, mimicking a ride to space atop of a rocket shaken by the engines. The satellite also faces hard acoustic noise from the engines accentuated by aerodynamic forces around the fairing," the release stated. WISA Woodsat mission manager Jari Makinen noted it fared well, with just two screws loosening during the test.

Once in space, Woodsat will be subjected to the withering effects of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun which is unfiltered by the Earth's atmosphere, and will be bombarded by atomic oxygen, a corrosive form of the element split from its breathable O2 form by the Sun's rays. This will blacken Woodsat's outer surface and "eat away at the surface much like a sandblaster beats bricks," Riccardo Rampini, heading ESA's Materials' Physics and Chemistry section, told Defense One.

While Woodsat's plywood has been specially dried to prepare it for space, it will still vent gases like all wood, and that could have unanticipated effects on its systems, which will be busy monitoring the various effects of space on the materials of the satellite.

"The first couple of months will be the most interesting months for the outgassing because this is where you have the highest peak," Rampini added. "If it survives two years, that would be good."

According to ESA, Woodsat will also carry a selfie stick to record its historic accomplishment - one of the few objects on the satellite not to be made of wood, along with its other sensors. It will also include an amateur radio, allowing folks on Earth to bounce signals off it.

"In the end, Woodsat is simply a beautiful object in terms of traditional Nordic design and simplicity, it should be very interesting to see it in orbit," Jari said. "Our hope is it helps inspire people to take increased interest in satellites and the space sector as something that already touches all our lives, and is only going to get bigger in future."

Source: RIA Novosti


Related Links
Woodsat
Microsat News and Nanosat News at SpaceMart.com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


MICROSAT BLITZ
Exolaunch Delivers One Ton of Small Satellites into Orbit on SpaceX's Transporter-2 Rideshare Mission
Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Jul 02, 2021
Exolaunch, the launch, deployment and integration services provider for the New Space industry, announced a successful launch of 29 satellites totaling one metric ton for its customers from the United States, South America and Europe on a dedicated rideshare mission of SpaceX's SmallSat Rideshare Program. The mission, named 'Fingerspitzengefuhl', lifted off on June 30 at 19:31 UTC on Falcon 9 'Transporter-2', completing one of the largest and most diverse rideshare missions for Exolaunch. With thi ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

MICROSAT BLITZ
How can you become a space tourist?

Who's who on Blue Origin's first crewed flight

Earth's richest man Bezos to blast off into space

With the HUMANS project, a message that space is for everyone

MICROSAT BLITZ
Long March 2C rocket carrying four satellites launched

Thruster research to help propel spacecraft

Amazon magnate Bezos ready to ride his own rocket to space

China's experimental space plane aces test flight

MICROSAT BLITZ
NASA studies bigger, better Mars helicopter

ExoMars orbiter continues hunt for key signs of life on Mars

Zhurong rover visits parachute and backshell

Mars Helicopter reveals intriguing terrain for rover team

MICROSAT BLITZ
China's five-star red flag flies proudly on red planet

China's Commercial Space Industry

Exercise bike in space helps keep crew fit

Homemade spacesuits ensure safety of Chinese astronauts in space

MICROSAT BLITZ
Funding partnerships launch the UK-Australia Space Bridge

Space, the final frontier for billionaire Richard Branson

Department of Space's commercial arm NewSpace India can also lease ISRO assets

OneWeb and BT to explore rural connectivity solutions for UK

MICROSAT BLITZ
Scientists created several samples of glasses for protection against nuclear radiation

Rescuing Integral: No thrust? No problem

New material could mean lightweight armor, protective coatings

Britain supports U.S. plan for deep space radar station

MICROSAT BLITZ
First measurement of isotopes in atmosphere of exoplanet

A potential new tracer of exoplanet formation

Brainless slime molds 'think' their way through the environment

TESS discovers stellar siblings host 'teenage' exoplanets

MICROSAT BLITZ
Juno tunes into Jovian radio triggered by Jupiter's volcanic moon Io

Ride with Juno as it flies past Jupiter and Ganymede

The mystery of what causes Jupiter's X-ray auroras is solved

Surface of Jupiter's moon Europa churned by small impacts









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.