INTRODUCTION
- The WISA Woodsat is a nanosatellite created by Jari Makinen, co-founder of Arctic Astronautics.
- The cube-shaped satellite measures 4x4x4 inches (10x10x10 centimetres) and weighs approximately 2.2 pounds (1 kg). The
- WISA Woodsat satellite will help monitor how wood reacts to radiation, cold, the vacuum of space, and heat.
- During the pre-flight tests WISA Woodsat can survive in an orbit of up to 500,600 km as determined.
WISA WOODSAT FEATURES –
- The European Space Agency (ESA) has provided some sensors to monitor the satellite’s performance and will also help with pre-flight tests.
- The plywood material used by WISA Woodsat is birch.
- The wood was dried and treated to increase its chances of survival in space. The plywood was dried in a vacuum chamber because the composition of normal plywood is too wet for use in space. The panels have been treated with a very thin layer of aluminium oxide for better performance.
- Experts expect the wood in the room to darken. You’ll also wait to see if the plywood develops cracks during its journey into space.
- The satellite is made of aluminium rails that help launch the satellite into space. The satellite will be equipped with two cameras, one of which is attached to an extendable selfie to stick those points towards the body.
SURVIVAL OF WOODEN SATELLITE IN OUTER SPACE –
- Aluminium oxide prevents plywood from releasing gas into space. Alumina is typically used as a chemical compound to encapsulate electronic components. It also protects the surface of plywood panels from the effects of corrosive atomic oxygen.
- Atomic oxygen was first discovered when the thermal blankets of the first NASA space shuttle missions were damaged. Atomic oxygen is created when ultraviolet radiation from the sun breaks up normal oxygen molecules.
- Experts hope that atomic oxygen will darken the plywood sheets, but are confident that the WISA Woodsat satellite will survive in space.
