NASA and USGS have initiated a groundbreaking partnership that involves the use of U-2 spy planes to map minerals in the desert regions of the United States. The main aim of this collaboration is to identify locations with abundant mineral resources to address the industry’s need for raw materials used in technological developments, thus reducing reliance on foreign imports.
A recent NASA release outlines the joint project, which utilizes U-2 spy planes from Lockheed to map minerals in the southwestern US regions. These minerals are essential components in electronics such as cell phones and laptops. The initiative involves the use of an ER-2 high-altitude aircraft to support the Geological Earth Mapping Experiment (GEMx) at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center.
The survey, which commenced in September, is geared towards reducing the US’ dependence on foreign imports for electronic components. NASA and USGS have a long-standing partnership in various Earth survey programs. This includes the recent Landsat 9 mission, which monitors the Earth’s environment, and the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), a radar system designed to monitor the planet’s land and ice surfaces.
In addition to space exploration and environmental monitoring, NASA is collaborating with USGS to provide maps of mineral deposits in desert regions. The initiative aims to address foreign reliance on electronic resources. This project marks a significant step towards reducing import dependence and ensuring a more sustainable supply of raw materials for technological advancements.
Image credits: NASA/Carla Thomas
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