It took awhile to get there, but there's a satellite built in Japan currently orbiting Earth. The novel thing about this satellite, creatively named LignoSat, is that it is made out of wood.
The mission of this wooden satellite is to determine if it's feasible to build satellites out of wood. The goal is satellites that burn up a lot better when they re-enter the atmosphere and don't spread as much metal debris and dust in the atmosphere. We need all the help we can get.
LignoSat went to the International Space Station in November and was deployed in December. As far as I can tell, it's working. The article describes what it's doing up there.
World's 1st wooden satellite deploys from ISS to demonstrate cleaner spacecraft tech
"During the mission, researchers will measure the response of LignoSat's magnolia-wood body to the temperature swings and high radiation levels in near-Earth space."Watch the exciting video!
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