NASA has installed AVIRIS‑5, a microwave‑sized airborne spectrometer, in an ER‑2 to map surface traces of critical minerals across the American West. As part of the joint NASA–USGS GEMx program, AVIRIS‑5 has helped survey more than 366,000 square miles since 2023 by detecting minerals’ unique "spectral fingerprints." The work supports efforts to expand domestic mineral production and has broader uses for land management, water‑resource monitoring and wildfire risk assessment.
From 60,000 Feet: NASA’s AVIRIS-5 Hunts Critical Minerals Powering Phones, EVs and Clean Energy
The high-flying ER-2 aircraft takes off at Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California in search of minerals. . | Credit: NASA/Christopher LC Clark
NASA has equipped one of its ER-2 high‑altitude research aircraft with AVIRIS‑5, a compact but powerful airborne spectrometer designed to map surface deposits of critical minerals across the American West.
What AVIRIS‑5 Is And Where It Came From
AVIRIS‑5 (Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer‑5) traces its lineage to technology developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the 1970s. Roughly the size of a household microwave, the sensor is installed in the nose of an ER‑2 that flies near 60,000 feet. JPL first deployed an earlier AVIRIS sensor in 1986 and has continually refined the design to improve sensitivity and spectral range.
GEMx: A Joint NASA–USGS Mineral Survey
AVIRIS‑5 is a primary instrument in GEMx, a collaborative initiative from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that searches for surface signatures of so‑called critical minerals—resources essential to electronics, renewable energy and defense technologies. Deserts are especially well suited for this work because sparse vegetation and limited tree cover make surface materials easier to observe. Since 2023, GEMx surveys have covered more than 366,000 square miles (950,000 km²) of the American West.
How The Sensor Finds Minerals
The method relies on spectroscopy: many minerals have distinctive chemical structures that absorb and reflect light at specific wavelengths. AVIRIS‑5 measures those reflected bands to reveal unique "spectral fingerprints," allowing scientists to identify likely mineral occurrences from the air without immediate ground disturbance.
USGS Definition: The USGS defines "critical minerals" as those with "significant consequences for the economic or national security of the U.S." Examples include aluminum, lithium, zinc, graphite, tungsten and titanium.
Policy Context
In March 2025, the White House issued an Executive Order directing steps to expand domestic production of critical minerals "to the maximum possible extent," warning that U.S. economic and national security are "now acutely threatened by our reliance upon hostile foreign powers' mineral production." Remote sensing projects like GEMx can help guide responsible exploration and prioritize areas for further study.
Beyond Mining: Broader Applications
In addition to terrestrial prospecting, spectrometers from AVIRIS's family have supported planetary science missions that studied Mars, Mercury and Pluto. A JPL spokesperson said one spectrometer is "en route to Europa, an ocean moon of Jupiter, to search for the chemical ingredients needed to support life." Dana Chadwick, an Earth system scientist at JPL, emphasizes that AVIRIS‑5 has wide applicability: "The breadth of different questions you can take on with this technology is really exciting, from land management to snowpack water resources to wildfire risk. Critical minerals are just the beginning for AVIRIS‑5."
By combining airborne spectral data with field studies and geological models, GEMx aims to accelerate discovery while reducing unnecessary ground disturbance—helping to inform both industry and policymakers about where to focus responsible resource development.
