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The world's first wooden satellite This wooden satellite was built by researchers at Kyoto University in collaboration with logging company Sumitomo Forestry. The tiny satellite, named LignoSat, is made from magnolia wood and will be launched to the International Space Station in September 2024. From there, LignoSat will be released to test its strength and durability. The benefit of wooden construction is that the material will burn up completely when the device re-enters the atmosphere, potentially providing a way to avoid generating metal particles when a retired satellite returns to Earth. STR / JIJI PRESS / AFP