According to the World Economic Forum, there are nearly 6,000 satellites circling the Earth at the moment. About 60 percent of them are no longer operational, meaning that they are nothing else than space junk flying at incredible speeds. Experts have warned of the increasing threat of space junk falling to Earth as more spacecraft and satellites are launched.

To diminish this growing problem, scientists have been investigating different options to remove and reduce space junk. Now a partnership between a Japanese company and Kyoto University seeks to develop what could be the world’s first satellite made out of wood by 2023.

Compared to conventional space technologies, wooden satellites would burn up without the risk of releasing harmful substances into the atmosphere or showering debris on the ground when they plunge back to Earth.

“We are very concerned with the fact that all the satellites which re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn and create tiny alumina particles which will float in the upper atmosphere for many years,” said Takao Doi, a professor at Kyoto University and Japanese astronaut. “Eventually it will affect the environment of the Earth,” he added.

The research team is currently working with construction firm Sumito Forestry, which plans to develop wooden materials highly resistant to temperature changes and sunlight.

It is estimated that 990 satellites will be launched every year this decade, meaning that by 2028, there could be 15,000 satellites in orbit. This makes it even more important to find innovative solutions to the urgent problem of space junk.