Japan wants to send the first wooden satellite into space. The LignoSat probe is scheduled to launch in 2024.
It is designed to burn to ash upon re-entry into the atmosphere. Wooden satellites enter the Earth’s atmosphere without pollutants. Researchers warn of “serious environmental damage” from aluminum probes. The probe - which is about the size of a coffee cup - is expected to operate in space for at least six months before returning to the upper atmosphere. Only recently was a small satellite able to measure gamma radiation, unlike large NASA probes.