World's first wooden satellite built by Japanese researchers

Tokyo — The world's first wooden satellite has been built by Japanese researchers who said their tiny cuboid craft is scheduled to be carried into space off on a SpaceX rocket in September.

Each side of the experimental satellite developed by scientists at Kyoto University and logging company Sumitomo Forestry measures four inches.

The creators expect the wooden material will burn up completely when the device re-enters the atmosphere -- potentially providing a way to avoid the creation of metal particles when a retired satellite returns to Earth.