Wooden satellites being developed in Japan to curb space junk

Japan's Sumitomo Forestry has teamed up with Kyoto University to develop what look set to be the world's first wooden satellites by 2023 in a bid to cut down on space junk gathering in the outer atmosphere.

The company says it has already begun researching tree growth and how to use wood materials in space, starting with experiments using different types of wood in extreme environments here on Earth.

The problem of increasing amounts of space junk is becoming ever-more pressing as more satellites are being launched into the atmosphere. 

Using wooden satellites could be a game-changer for the space industry as when they fall back down to Earth they would burn up in the atmosphere without releasing harmful substances or raining debris.

Read more: ESA to send huge claw into space to remove space junk

"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," Takao Doi, a professor at Kyoto University and Japanese astronaut, told the BBC.

"Eventually it will affect the environment of the Earth."

"The next stage will be developing the engineering model of the satellite, then we will manufacture the flight model," added Professor Doi, who during his time an astronaut, visited the International Space Station in 2008 and became the first person to throw a boomerang in space.

Sumitomo Forestry, which was founded over 400 years ago, said it will work intensively on the development of wooden materials that are highly resistant to changes in temperature and sunlight. 

A spokesperson for the company told the BBC that the wood it was using is an "R&D secret".

Read more: The satellite drone that can beam 5G from the stratosphere

The World Economic Forum estimates that there are currently around 6,000 satellites orbiting the Earth at present - with only about 40% actually in use. 

More and more companies are planning to launch satellites in the near future, bringing broadband to every part of the world, which will increase the orbital clutter immensely. SpaceX alone has sent over 900 satellites into orbit.

Research company Euroconsult has estimated that just under 1,000 satellites will be sent into space each year in the next decade meaning that by 2029, there could be as many as 15,000.

Experts have long warned of the increased danger of space junk falling to Earth, as well as the threat it presents to objects it collides with. Space junk travels at immense speeds - around 35,880 kmh (22,300 mph).

In 2006, a tiny piece of debris collided with the International Space Station causing a chip to be taken out of the heavily reinforced window.

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