Top Highlights
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New Sensor Launch: NASA’s AVIRIS-5, a high-altitude spectrometer, is mapping critical minerals like lithium from 60,000 feet, as part of a historic airborne geological survey in collaboration with the USGS.
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Advanced Technology: The sensor detects the unique spectral “fingerprints” of minerals by analyzing reflected sunlight, utilizing advanced materials and techniques developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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Broad Implications: Findings from AVIRIS-5, including identifying lithium in California’s mine tailings, aim to enhance land management and unlock value from abandoned mineral sites while supporting national security.
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Long-Term Goals: The four-year GEMx project will utilize this technology to improve geological mapping and address issues like acid mine drainage, benefiting communities and resources management nationwide.
New NASA Sensor Goes Hunting for Critical Minerals
NASA has launched a new sensor called AVIRIS-5, aimed at mapping critical minerals on Earth. This cutting-edge technology flies at 60,000 feet aboard a high-altitude research plane. Importantly, the sensor works alongside the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the largest airborne campaign of its kind in U.S. history.
AVIRIS-5, short for Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-5, uses unique patterns of reflected light to identify minerals like lithium. The sensor detects the spectral “fingerprints” of various compounds, revealing essential data about rocks on Earth’s surface. Engineers designed it to enhance the technology originally pioneered at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the late 1970s.
Since its inception, imaging spectrometers have explored every rocky body in the solar system. They helped identify water on the Moon, trace Martian crust, and analyze mineral-rich dust in deserts. AVIRIS-5 aims to broaden this mission by focusing on Earth’s critical mineral sources.
About the size of a microwave oven, AVIRIS-5 can distinguish fine details as small as 30 centimeters. This increased spatial resolution allows scientists to gather more accurate information. So far this year, AVIRIS-5 has completed over 200 hours of flights over Western states, collecting data across 366,000 square miles.
One exciting finding includes hectorite, a lithium-bearing clay discovered in California. This mineral falls within a group deemed critical for national security and economic stability. The demand for lithium is rising due to its importance in batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.
The GEMx project, which supports this research, aims to modernize mapping of both surface and subsurface resources. Importantly, it seeks to help communities develop value from abandoned mines while addressing environmental issues like acid mine drainage.
Experts highlight that the potential applications extend beyond mineral exploration. AVIRIS-5 can also aid in land management, monitor snowpack water resources, and assess wildfire risks. Such versatility makes AVIRIS-5 a vital tool for both present needs and future research.
Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the GEMx initiative will play a pivotal role in shaping how scientists study and manage Earth’s resources. With advanced technology and collaborative efforts, ensuring the sustainable supply of critical minerals becomes a promising reality.
For more insights on GEMx, visit NASA’s dedicated webpage.
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