NASA h?s st??t?? ?sin? its v??si?n ?? th? L?ckh??? U-2 s?? ?l?n? t? ???s??ct ??? min???l ??s???c?s in ?n? ????n? Am??ic?’s ??s??ts. C?ll?? th? E??th R?s???c?s 2 (ER-2), th? m??i?i?? U2 h?? ???n h?ntin? ??? vit?l st??t??ic min???l ????sits th?t c??l? ?? ?s?? t? ??il? ?l?ct??nics. Th? G??l??ic?l E??th M???in? Ex???im?nt (GEMx) missi?n h?s ???n ?n???w?? sinc? S??t?m??? ?? this ???? in c?ll?????ti?n with th? Unit?? St?t?s G??l??ic?l S??v?? (USGS).
Hi?h-?ltit??? ???s??ctin?
“Th? U.S. ????n?s ?n ? ??li??l? s???l? ?? E??th m?t??i?ls t? s?????t its ?c?n?m? ?n? n?ti?n?l s?c??it?,” s?i? USGS ????h?sicist R??m?n? K?k?l? in ? NASA st?t?m?nt. “S?ch m?t??i?ls h?v? ???n ???m?? c?itic?l min???ls ??c??s? ?is???ti?n ?? th?i? s???l? w??l? h?v? si?ni?ic?nt n???tiv? im??cts. Un?isc?v???? ????sits ?? ?t l??st s?m? ?? th?s? c?itic?l ?n? st??t??ic min???ls ?lm?st c??t?inl? ?xist in th? Unit?? St?t?s. Still, m????n ????h?sic?l ??t? is n????? t? inc???s? ??? kn?wl???? ?? th?s? ??s???c?s,” h? ?????.
As it st?n?s, Chin? ??min?t?s th? m??k?t ??? s?m? k?? ??s???c?s lik? c???lt, lithi?m, ???? ???ths, ?n? ?th?? c?itic?l min???ls in t??ms ?? ???c?ssin? ?n? ???inin?, ?cc???in? t? ? Whit? H??s? ??ct sh??t ???lish?? in 2022. This is wh???, in ???t, NASA’s ?n? USGS’ GEMx missi?n will ???v? ?iv?t?l in h?l?in? th? Unit?? St?t?s ????c? its ????n??nc? ?n ??t?nti?ll? h?stil? s???li??s ?? th?s? m?t??i?ls, lik? Chin?. P??vi?in?, ?? c???s?, th? missi?n ?in?s ?n? vi??l? s???c?s in th? t????t ????s.
Th? GEMx missi?n inv?lv?s ?sin? NASA’s ER-2 ?n? ?n? ?? NASA’s m??i?i?? G?l?st???m V ??sin?ss j?ts t? ?l? ?v?? th? ??i? ???i?ns ?? th? Am??ic?n S??thw?st, incl??in? C?li???ni?, N?v???, A?iz?n?, ?n? N?w M?xic?. D??in? th? missi?n, th? ER-2 will ?? ?l?in? ?t ?ltit???s ?? 65,000 ???t (19,800 m), ???i???? with s??ci?l s?ns??s th?t c?ll?ct wh?t ??? kn?wn ?s h????s??ct??l im???s.
“F?? this missi?n, w? ??? ?l?in? ?t ?????xim?t?l? 65,000 ???t t? ?c??i?? wi?? sw?ths ?? ????h?sic?l ??t? with ?v??? ?v???li?ht,” s?i? K?vin R??th, NASA ????t? ??????m m?n???? ??? GEMx. Th? inst??m?nts ??? ?l?in? hi?h?? th?n ???vi??s ?i????n? inst??m?nts t? c?ll?ct ??t? ?v?? ? wi??? ????, ??t th? im???s c?ll?ct?? h?v? ?in?? ??t?il th?n ? s?t?llit? vi?w. “It’s th?nks t? this hi?h-?ltit??? ?l?in? c????ilit? th?t w? c?n c?v?? s?ch ? l???? ????,” R??th s?i?.
“I? this missi?n c?n s?cc?ss??ll? i??nti?? c?itic?l min???ls in min??l? l?c?ti?ns in th? U.S., w? c??l? ?? l?ss ????n??nt ?n ????i?n ?ntiti?s ??? th?s? c?itic?l min???ls,” h? ?????.
F?? th? t?sk ?t h?n?, NASA h?s m??nt?? v??i??s s?ns??s ?n th? ER-2 ?n? G?l?st???m V. Th?s? incl??? NASA’s AVIRIS (Ai????n? Visi?l?/In?????? Im??in? S??ct??m?t??), H?TES (H????s??ct??l Th??m?l Emissi?n S??ct??m?t??), ?n? MASTER (MODIS/ASTER Ai????n? Sim?l?t??). As NASA ?x?l?ins, ??tic?l s?ns??s ?n th?s? inst??m?nts c??t??? h????s??ct??l im???s, which ??v??l th? hi???n c?m?l?xiti?s ?? s??min?l? ?ni???m ?? m?n?ch??m?tic s????c?s th????h th? ?s? ?? c?l??. Th?s? vis??l ??t? s?ts h?l? i??nti?? th? c?m??siti?n ?n? ?lt???ti?ns ?? th? E??th’s s????c? ?n? ?tm?s?h???.
N?ti?n?l ??s???c? s?c??it?
Th? Bi??n-H???is ??minist??ti?n h?s ??i??itiz?? th? ?x??nsi?n ?? th? Unit?? St?t?s’ ??m?stic s???l? ?? c?itic?l min???ls in ??c?nt ????s. In 2021, th?? si?n?? ?n Ex?c?tiv? O???? t? ????c? th? c??nt??’s ?v??-??li?nc? ?n ????i?n s???c?s ?n? ??v??s??i?l n?ti?ns ??? th?s? min???ls ?n? m?t??i?ls th?t ??s? n?ti?n?l ?n? ?c?n?mic s?c??it? th???ts.
Acc???in? t? NASA’s ???j?cti?ns, th? GEMx ???j?ct is ?stim?t?? t? c?st $16 milli?n ?n? will c?ntin?? ?ntil A?t?mn ?? 2026.