The world's first wooden satellite will be launched in March next year, with a component size error of less than 0.01 mm.
CTOnews.com, June 12 (Xinhua) according to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the world's first wooden satellite jointly developed by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry has been confirmed to be launched in the United States in March next year. To meet the deadline, the R & D team is challenging to assemble a 10cm square cube and ensure that its dimensional error meets NASA's requirements of less than 0.01mm.
▲ Kyoto University & Sumitomo Forestry at present, scrapped satellites will produce a large number of metal particles when burning in the atmosphere, which will have an impact on the environment. The R & D team tried to reduce the negative impact of combustion on the atmospheric environment by building satellite shells out of wood.
According to previous reports from CTOnews.com, the research and development team exposed a set of different kinds of planks outside the International Space Station to cosmic rays for about 300 days, and the best-performing Japanese magnolia, a kind of magnolia tree, made little change. As a result, the team finally decided to use Japan's Magnolia to make satellite shells.
However, a real satellite orbits the earth every 90 minutes, which causes it to frequently alternate between extreme temperature differences of 120 degrees Celsius and minus 150 degrees Celsius. Such an environment will cause the board to expand and contract, so materials such as adhesives that may pose a risk of damage cannot be used. In addition, the vacuum environment will also completely remove the moisture contained in the wood, so that the R & D team finally decided to use the traditional process to assemble and build the satellite, instead of using nails and adhesives. Use a mortise-and-tenon structure to fit together.
In October, NASA and JAXA will conduct a final safety review. If all goes well, the satellite will be transported to the International Space Station by American rockets in March next year. "in space without Rain Water, insects and bacteria, there is no need to worry about wood decay, so they can be used as important materials for future space development," said Toshio Takui, a professor and astronaut at Kyoto University who led the team. "
