Wooden Satellite to Launch by Year’s End
05/14/2021
The WISA Woodsat project, being sponsored by plywood supplier WISA in an unconventional PR initiative, is poised to place a wooden satellite into orbit by the end of the year. The idea is to test the suitability of treated wood as a low-cost and widely available material for space applications. The
IARU posting for Woodsat indicates that several amateur radio experiments will be on board as well as photo downlinking, including selfies.
The wooden satellite is based on a basic, versatile CubeSat format, Kitsat, which is designed with educational use in mind. It retails for just $1,500. Based in Finland, the Woodsat project began with students across the country contributing parts to a CubeSat launched by balloon. The satellite will be a 10-centimeter cube weighing 1 kilogram, covered on all sides by coated birch plywood from WISA plywood. Nine small solar cells will power the satellite, which will orbit at an altitude of 500 – 550 kilometers.