A growing number of private-sector businesses are entering the space industry by launching small satellites, opening new frontiers across multiple fields but also giving rise to fresh challenges.

Decommissioned satellites are adding to hazardous orbital debris, while fragments from crafts that fail to burn up fully during reentry can reach Earth’s surface.

A Japanese company is tackling both problems with Amorcell, a wood-derived material engineered to help satellites burn up completely in the atmosphere. By enabling full incineration, the material points to a more sustainable approach to satellite design.

From paper to space

Amorcell is a high-density cellulose nanofiber (CNF) material developed by Kami Shoji, a paper products trading house based in Shikokuchuo, Ehime Prefecture. Positioned as an alternative to reinforced plastics, it is being eyed for use in components for small satellites as well as electronic substrates for semiconductors.

Produced with a proprietary compression process, Amorcell achieves a density that gives it greater hardness than some grades of stainless steel. Its tensile and bending strengths are around three times those of common plastics. It also offers low oxygen permeability, rivaling, and in some cases surpassing, the thin metallized plastic films typically used in snack packaging.

According to Shosaku Kashiwada of the company’s development planning department and a former professor at Toyo University, Amorcell is “a chemical-free material processed only with heat, water and pressure.” It consists solely of CNF, or wood-pulp fibers reduced to the nanoscale. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.

Conventional CNF-reinforced plastics also rely on petroleum-based resins and chemical additives, resulting in a substantial environmental footprint. By contrast, Amorcell biodegrades in both soil and seawater through microbial activity and emits no toxic gases when incinerated.

Seeking a material made solely from CNF, Kami Shoji used generative artificial intelligence to analyze collected data and accelerate development. The company also partnered with Yamamoto Eng. Works, an industrial dehydrating equipment maker based in Komatsushima, in neighboring Tokushima Prefecture, to build dedicated machinery for the process. Drying processed CNF previously took about a month, but the new system reduces the time to roughly 30 minutes. It also slashes manufacturing costs, to less than one-hundredth of the previous levels.

The development of Amorcell was prompted by a fall in paper production. Sales remain steady for hygiene products such as tissues, an area of strength for Kami Shoji, but overall paper demand is trending downward due to progress in the digitization of business operations. As both paper and CNF are derived from wood, the company is leveraging its materials expertise to expand into the space sector and create a new pillar of revenue.

Crowded orbit

The global space industry is poised for rapid expansion. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the market is projected to reach about ¥140 trillion by 2040, roughly tripling over about 20 years. A key driver is the rise of inexpensive small satellites deployed at scale that can process vast amounts of data in orbit and unlock new opportunities in Earth observation and satellite communications.

This shift is already visible in launch activity. In 2022, more than 2,400 commercial small satellites were sent into orbit worldwide, including many by U.S. company Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX. The momentum for private-sector involvement is expected to continue.

As of 2024, however, an estimated 28,000 pieces of space debris orbited Earth, about 80% more than in 2009, according to NASA. Over the same period, debris originating from artificial satellites increased roughly 3.8-fold. The European Space Agency has reported that 48.6% of small satellites, weighing 10 to 100 kilograms, do not comply with international guidelines intended to curb the creation of space debris.

Earth’s surrounding space is an ultrathin vacuum with almost no atmospheric drag. Once rockets and artificial satellites reach orbit, they can remain there for years or even decades unless an external force alters their trajectory. Over time, defunct satellites and fragments become space debris, increasing the risk of collisions that could disable operational satellites and disrupt ground-based communications and other services.

Amorcell can also be processed into various items. | JIJI

To address the growing hazard, governments and private companies are developing methods to safely deorbit satellites at the end of their lifespans so they burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and domestic partners plan demonstration tests of a system that uses Earth’s magnetic field to generate drag, inducing reentry and incineration. If successful, the technology could offer a practical way to reduce orbital debris and keep space operations safer.

Most satellites incinerate during atmospheric reentry, when they encounter temperatures of several thousand degrees Celsius. Still, aluminum components can partially survive, leaving residual debris that may reach the surface. If such debris falls to Earth, it can contribute to marine pollution or cause injuries and fatalities.

There is also a security risk. Satellite fragments recovered by foreign governments or competitors can lead to unintended technology transfers. As a result, demand is growing for satellites designed to fully burn up on reentry.

Durability challenges

Kami Shoji’s Amorcell has earned high praise from ElevationSpace, a startup originating from Tohoku University. Based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, ElevationSpace develops satellites and also serves as a commercial bridge between the space sector and broader industry.

The two companies made contact at a 2024 exhibition showcasing CNF-related products, where ElevationSpace business director Soichi Okawa spotted Amorcell’s potential among the many items on display.

“It is expected to become a dream material for the space industry,” Okawa said.

Despite promising early signs, key questions remain about Amorcell’s durability in space and whether it will completely burn up during atmospheric reentry. ElevationSpace plans to act as an intermediary for a mission to deliver Amorcell to the International Space Station as early as next year, where it will undergo a six-month exposure to radiation and ultraviolet light in extravehicular experiments.

The company will also collaborate with Japanese government-affiliated agencies on a series of experiments aimed at practical applications for satellites designed to fully burn up on reentry.

Kami Shoji’s next challenge is to develop thicker Amorcell. The material currently tops out at 2 centimeters. Going beyond that limit requires layering, which in turn needs adhesives. But bonding agents can leave microscopic gaps that let in air and water, reducing durability. The company’s goal is to produce a single, solid piece that is 10 centimeters thick.

“Amorcell has the potential to be instrumental in solving the space debris problem. I would be happy if we could contribute,” Kashiwada said.