NASA Flies Over Nearly 500,000 Square Kilometers in Search of Rare Earths and Exposes America's Massive Mineral Wealth

NASA Flies Over Nearly 500,000 Square Kilometers in Search of Rare Earths and Exposes America’s Massive Mineral Wealth

Written by Bruno Teles

Published on 10/12/2024 at 19:42

O avião ER-2 da NASA sobrevoa o deserto com seus sensores hiperespectrais, transformando paisagens áridas em mapas coloridos que revelam terras raras e a riqueza mineral da América. (Imagem: Reprodução)

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With The Help Of Hyperspectral Sensors, The Agency Seeks To Identify Rare Earth Deposits And Understand The Mineral Wealth Of America

Well above the sun-soaked deserts of the American West, a NASA aircraft flies over territories once considered barren, on a bold journey to map rare earth elements and, thus, expand our knowledge of America’s mineral wealth. In this endeavor, the goal is not to find distant galaxies but to reveal essential resources that could drive clean energy and strengthen the country’s economic security.

The expedition’s scenario is a vast area, comparable to the size of Spain, covering states such as California, Nevada, Arizona, and Oregon. At first glance, the arid soil appears empty, but through hyperspectral sensors installed on NASA’s ER-2 aircraft, each plot of land comes alive in vivid colors, indicating the presence of essential minerals, including the coveted rare earths.

And For What Purpose Will These Elements Be Used?

NASA flies over nearly 500,000 km² in search of rare earths and exposes the huge mineral wealth of America — Through hyperspectral sensors, the aircraft captures different wavelengths of light reflected by the ground, allowing for the identification of each mineral’s unique signature, including rare earths, thus distinguishing where they are present or not.

These elements, crucial for wind turbines, electric vehicle batteries, and various green technologies, are part of a hidden treasure that reflects America’s true mineral wealth.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Lithium

A special highlight is lithium, a key metal for electric car batteries. As global demand increases, old mines are being re-examined, and even waste discarded in the past may become a new source of resources.

This renewed focus on the subsurface promises to transform environmental liabilities into strategic assets, reinforcing the role of the U.S. in the international clean energy landscape.

Much Beyond Rare Earths

As NASA and the USGS advance, the complete mapping, expected by spring 2025, could also identify natural hazards, invasive plant species, and various mineral deposits, going far beyond rare earths and further expanding the understanding of America’s mineral wealth.

Ultimately, each pixel captured by the sensors is a clue, each color revealed is a step toward self-sufficiency. NASA’s mission is not just cartographic; it is a pathway to a more sustainable energy future, solid national security, and a more conscious exploration of what lies right beneath our feet.

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Luís Mota

#96382

15/12/2024 02:55

Ora bem se a América e assim tão rica deve abandonar os países onde estão metidos a roubar essas riquezas e que vivam do que tem, não e só viverem de inveja dos chineses ou outras nações k compram tudo o k e riquesa e não como eles k só roubam as riquezas onde se metem com os dizeres k e democracia eles são **** nada mais

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Geraldo Reis

#95352

13/12/2024 14:29

O que precisa acabar é o complexo de vira latas implantado no BR que tem causado muito estrago ao país.

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Ronaldo santos

#94557

12/12/2024 15:36

Pesquisa e mapear terra , definir localizar das extração, autorização e investimento do governo, montagem de mineradora e compra de maquinário, equipamentos , no Eua levar no mínimo 5 anos, o mais difícil é pesquisa e desenvolvimento da tecnologia de extração e mão de obra qualificado que está escassez no mercado americano. Levar mais 4ou5anos,assim que EUA ficar pronto os chineses vai liberar a venda e preço baixar para inviabiliza extração e investimento americano, alí a empresa mineradoras falir de novo… isso é jogada americano que já fiz com as refinaria do Brasil no passado.

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NASA Flies Over Nearly 500,000 Square Kilometers in Search of Rare Earths and Exposes America’s Massive Mineral Wealth

With The Help Of Hyperspectral Sensors, The Agency Seeks To Identify Rare Earth Deposits And Understand The Mineral Wealth Of America

And For What Purpose Will These Elements Be Used?

Lithium

Much Beyond Rare Earths

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NASA Flies Over Nearly 500,000 Square Kilometers in Search of Rare Earths and Exposes America’s Massive Mineral Wealth

With The Help Of Hyperspectral Sensors, The Agency Seeks To Identify Rare Earth Deposits And Understand The Mineral Wealth Of America

And For What Purpose Will These Elements Be Used?

Lithium

Much Beyond Rare Earths

Elon Musk’s internet comes to mobile: Starlink technology connects smartphones without an antenna via satellite, works even without carrier signal, already costs just US$10 extra in the US, and could arrive in Brazil as an included benefit.

Seven world powers including the US, China, and Russia are spending €22 billion on a reactor in the south of France that aims to confine plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius, ten times the temperature of the Sun’s core, using a magnetic field capable of lifting an entire aircraft carrier.

A Chinese factory in Guangdong is assembling a humanoid robot every 30 minutes while Tesla, Figure, and Boston Dynamics still struggle to deliver 10 thousand per year.

While Brazil has been discussing bullet trains for 16 years, China delivers 5 new high-speed lines in 2026, surpasses 50,000 km of HSR, and moves 1 billion passengers in a single year.

With a wingspan of 152 meters, 76 tires, and a capacity to carry 1,270 tons, the Boeing Pelican was the giant “flying ship” that promised to cross oceans close to the water on an invisible air cushion beneath its wings.

While countries spend billions to draw water from the sea, a Nobel-winning scientist creates a container-sized machine that extracts up to 1,000 liters per day from dry air and uses ultrasound to release water in minutes, even in the middle of the desert.

Belgium will sink 23 giant concrete caissons, each weighing 22,000 tons, in the North Sea to build the world’s first artificial energy island 45 km off the coast, forming offshore electrical walls.

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