Unique among the myriad of items the mission carried is the first satellite made from wood, a palm-sized cube called the LignoStat. Developed by Kyoto University researchers and the Japanese timber company Sumitomo Forestry, LignoStat -- the satellite is ...

The world's first wood-panelled satellite has been launched into space to test the suitability of timber as a renewable building material in future exploration of destinations like the Moon and Mars.Made by researchers in Japan,

The world's first wooden satellite, built by Japanese researchers, was launched into space on Tuesday, in an early test of using timber in lunar and Mars exploration.