Japanese researchers are developing wooden satellites

KYOTO, JAPAN — Researchers from Kyoto University have teamed up with Japanese company Sumitomo Forestry to test the potential of using wood as a component in satellite construction, according to a report by the BBC and an article on Sumitomo Forestry's website.

Satellites with wooden housings would leave fewer harmful materials behind when they burn up in the atmosphere.

Per the BBC, the partnership will experiment with different types of wood in extreme environments on Earth and hopes to develop the world's first wooden satellites by 2023.

Another benefit of using wooden housings is that many wavelengths of electromagnetic energy can pass through the material, so antennas could be housed internally.

A Sumitomo Forestry spokesperson told the BBC that the wood it is using is an "R&D secret."