this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
46 points (100.0% liked)
Astronomy
4017 readers
66 users here now
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Wood seems like a good choice for a satellite - it's lightweight, easy to machine into different shapes, it's cheap and readily available. It also doesn't conduct heat as well as aluminum or steel, but I don't know enough about building satellites to know if that's a problem.
Plus, it's less likely to become space trash.
Why not?
How so?
Because it is less ductile and flexible than aluminum or titanium. It's easier to decommission by burning it up in the atmosphere without leaving particles behind, and if it collides with another object, it's more likely to be obliterated.