Feed aggregator
2025 was chock full of exciting discoveries in human evolution
2025 was chock full of exciting discoveries in human evolution
NASA’s JWST Spots Most Ancient Supernova Ever Observed
Astronomers have sighted the oldest known stellar explosion, dating back to when the universe was less than a billion years old
Pompeii House Frozen Mid-Renovation Reveals Secrets of Roman Cement
Lime granules trapped in ancient walls show Romans relied on a reactive hot-mix method to making concrete that could now inspire modern engineers
New NASA Sensor Goes Hunting for Critical Minerals
Called AVIRIS-5, it’s the latest in a long line of sensors pioneered by NASA JPL to survey Earth, the Moon, and other worlds.
Cradled in the nose of a high-altitude research airplane, a new NASA sensor has taken to the skies to help geoscientists map rocks hosting lithium and other critical minerals on Earth’s surface some 60,000 feet below. In collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the flights are part of the largest airborne campaign of its kind in the country’s history.
But that’s just one of many tasks that are on the horizon for AVIRIS-5, short for Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-5, which has a lot in common with sensors used to explore other planets.
NASA’s AVIRIS flies aboard a research plane in this animation, detecting minerals on the ground such as hectorite — a lithium-bearing clay — by the unique patterns of light that they reflect. The different wavelengths, measured in nanometers, look like colorful squiggles in the box on the right. Credit: NASA’s Conceptual Image LabAbout the size of a microwave oven, AVIRIS-5 detects the spectral “fingerprints” of minerals and other compounds in reflected sunlight. Like its cousins flying in space, the sensor takes advantage of the fact that all kinds of molecules, from rare earth elements to flower pigments, have unique chemical structures that absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light.
The technology was pioneered at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in the late 1970s. Over the decades, imaging spectrometers have visited every major rocky body in the solar system from Mercury to Pluto. They’ve traced Martian crust in full spectral detail, revealed lakes on Titan, and tracked mineral-rich dust across the Sahara and other deserts. One is en route to Europa, an ocean moon of Jupiter, to search for the chemical ingredients needed to support life.
Image cubes illustrate the volume of data returned by JPL imaging spectrometers. The front panel shows roads and fields around Tulare, California, as seen by AVIRIS-5 during a checkout flight earlier this year. The side panels depict the spectral fingerprint captured for every point in the image.NASA/JPL-Caltech
Another imaging spectrometer, NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper, was the first to discover water on the lunar surface in 2009. “That dataset continues to drive our investigations as we look for in situ resources on the Moon” as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, said Robert Green, a senior research scientist at NASA JPL who’s contributed to multiple spectroscopy missions across the solar system.
Prisms, black siliconWhile imaging spectrometers vary depending on their mission, they have certain hardware in common — including mirrors, detector arrays, and electron-beam gratings — designed to capture light shimmering off a surface and then separate it into its constituent colors, like a prism.
Light-trapping black silicon is one of the darkest materials ever fabricated. The technology is standard for JPL’s ultraprecise imaging spectrometers.NASA/JPL-Caltech
Many of the best-in-class imaging spectrometers flying today were made possible by components invented at NASA JPL’s Microdevices Laboratory. Instrument-makers there combine breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, and material science with the classical properties of light discovered by physicist Isaac Newton in the 17th century. Newton’s prism experiments revealed that visible light is composed of a rainbow of colors.
Today, NASA JPL engineers work with advanced materials such as black silicon — one of the darkest substances ever manufactured — to push performance. Under a powerful microscope, black silicon looks like a forest of spiky needles. Etched by lasers or chemicals, the nanoscale structures prevent stray light from interfering with the sample by trapping it in their spikes.
Treasure huntingThe optical techniques used at the Microdevices Laboratory have advanced continuously since the first AVIRIS instrument took flight in 1986. Four generations of these sensors have now hit the skies, analyzing erupting volcanoes, diseased crops, ground zero debris in New York City, and wildfires in Alabama, among many other deployments. The latest model, AVIRIS-5, features spatial resolution that’s twice as fine as that of its predecessor and can resolve areas ranging from less than a foot (30 centimeters) to about 30 feet (10 meters).
So far this year, it has logged more than 200 hours of high-altitude flights over Nevada, California, and other Western states as part of a project called GEMx (Geological Earth Mapping Experiment). The flights are conducted using NASA’s ER-2 aircraft, operated out of the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The effort is the airborne component of a larger USGS initiative, called Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), to modernize mapping of the nation’s surface and subsurface.
The NASA and USGS team has, since 2023, gathered data over more than 366,000 square miles (950,000 square kilometers) of the American West, where dry, treeless expanses are well suited to mineral spectroscopy.
An exciting early finding is a lithium-bearing clay called hectorite, identified in the tailings of an abandoned mine in California, among other locations. Lithium is one of about 50 minerals at risk of supply chain disruption that USGS has deemed critical to national security and the economy.
Helping communities capture new value from old and abandoned prospects is one of the long-term aspirations of GEMx, said Dana Chadwick, an Earth system scientist at NASA JPL. So is identifying sources of acid mine drainage, which can occur when waste rocks weather and leach into the environment.
“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,” Chadwick said. “Critical minerals are just the beginning for AVIRIS-5.”
More about GEMxThe GEMx research project is expected to last four years and is funded by the USGS Earth MRI, through investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The initiative will capitalize on both the technology developed by NASA for spectroscopic imaging, as well as the expertise in analyzing the datasets and extracting critical mineral information from them.
To learn more about GEMx visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/gemx/
News Media Contacts
Andrew Wang / Andrew Good
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-379-6874 / 818-393-2433
andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
Written by Sally Younger
2025-136
Share Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2025 Related Terms Explore More 2 min read Invention Challenge Brings Student Engineers to NASA JPL Article 4 days ago 3 min read Senyar Swamps SumatraA rare tropical cyclone dropped torrential rains on the Indonesian island, fueling extensive and destructive…
Article 5 days ago 4 min read Hayli Gubbi’s Explosive First ImpressionIn its first documented eruption, the Ethiopian volcano sent a plume of gas and ash…
Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Earth Science MissionsIn order to study the Earth as a whole system and understand how it is changing, NASA develops and supports…
GEMx
Earth’s MoonThe Moon makes Earth more livable, sets the rhythm of ocean tides, and keeps a record of our solar system’s…
Climate ChangeNASA is a global leader in studying Earth’s changing climate.
New NASA Sensor Goes Hunting for Critical Minerals
Called AVIRIS-5, it’s the latest in a long line of sensors pioneered by NASA JPL to survey Earth, the Moon, and other worlds.
Cradled in the nose of a high-altitude research airplane, a new NASA sensor has taken to the skies to help geoscientists map rocks hosting lithium and other critical minerals on Earth’s surface some 60,000 feet below. In collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the flights are part of the largest airborne campaign of its kind in the country’s history.
But that’s just one of many tasks that are on the horizon for AVIRIS-5, short for Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-5, which has a lot in common with sensors used to explore other planets.
NASA’s AVIRIS flies aboard a research plane in this animation, detecting minerals on the ground such as hectorite — a lithium-bearing clay — by the unique patterns of light that they reflect. The different wavelengths, measured in nanometers, look like colorful squiggles in the box on the right. Credit: NASA’s Conceptual Image LabAbout the size of a microwave oven, AVIRIS-5 detects the spectral “fingerprints” of minerals and other compounds in reflected sunlight. Like its cousins flying in space, the sensor takes advantage of the fact that all kinds of molecules, from rare earth elements to flower pigments, have unique chemical structures that absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light.
The technology was pioneered at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in the late 1970s. Over the decades, imaging spectrometers have visited every major rocky body in the solar system from Mercury to Pluto. They’ve traced Martian crust in full spectral detail, revealed lakes on Titan, and tracked mineral-rich dust across the Sahara and other deserts. One is en route to Europa, an ocean moon of Jupiter, to search for the chemical ingredients needed to support life.
Image cubes illustrate the volume of data returned by JPL imaging spectrometers. The front panel shows roads and fields around Tulare, California, as seen by AVIRIS-5 during a checkout flight earlier this year. The side panels depict the spectral fingerprint captured for every point in the image.NASA/JPL-CaltechAnother imaging spectrometer, NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper, was the first to discover water on the lunar surface in 2009. “That dataset continues to drive our investigations as we look for in situ resources on the Moon” as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, said Robert Green, a senior research scientist at NASA JPL who’s contributed to multiple spectroscopy missions across the solar system.
Prisms, black siliconWhile imaging spectrometers vary depending on their mission, they have certain hardware in common — including mirrors, detector arrays, and electron-beam gratings — designed to capture light shimmering off a surface and then separate it into its constituent colors, like a prism.
Light-trapping black silicon is one of the darkest materials ever fabricated. The technology is standard for JPL’s ultraprecise imaging spectrometers.NASA/JPL-CaltechMany of the best-in-class imaging spectrometers flying today were made possible by components invented at NASA JPL’s Microdevices Laboratory. Instrument-makers there combine breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, and material science with the classical properties of light discovered by physicist Isaac Newton in the 17th century. Newton’s prism experiments revealed that visible light is composed of a rainbow of colors.
Today, NASA JPL engineers work with advanced materials such as black silicon — one of the darkest substances ever manufactured — to push performance. Under a powerful microscope, black silicon looks like a forest of spiky needles. Etched by lasers or chemicals, the nanoscale structures prevent stray light from interfering with the sample by trapping it in their spikes.
Treasure huntingThe optical techniques used at the Microdevices Laboratory have advanced continuously since the first AVIRIS instrument took flight in 1986. Four generations of these sensors have now hit the skies, analyzing erupting volcanoes, diseased crops, ground zero debris in New York City, and wildfires in Alabama, among many other deployments. The latest model, AVIRIS-5, features spatial resolution that’s twice as fine as that of its predecessor and can resolve areas ranging from less than a foot (30 centimeters) to about 30 feet (10 meters).
So far this year, it has logged more than 200 hours of high-altitude flights over Nevada, California, and other Western states as part of a project called GEMx (Geological Earth Mapping Experiment). The flights are conducted using NASA’s ER-2 aircraft, operated out of the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The effort is the airborne component of a larger USGS initiative, called Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), to modernize mapping of the nation’s surface and subsurface.
The NASA and USGS team has, since 2023, gathered data over more than 366,000 square miles (950,000 square kilometers) of the American West, where dry, treeless expanses are well suited to mineral spectroscopy.
An exciting early finding is a lithium-bearing clay called hectorite, identified in the tailings of an abandoned mine in California, among other locations. Lithium is one of about 50 minerals at risk of supply chain disruption that USGS has deemed critical to national security and the economy.
Helping communities capture new value from old and abandoned prospects is one of the long-term aspirations of GEMx, said Dana Chadwick, an Earth system scientist at NASA JPL. So is identifying sources of acid mine drainage, which can occur when waste rocks weather and leach into the environment.
“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,” Chadwick said. “Critical minerals are just the beginning for AVIRIS-5.”
More about GEMxThe GEMx research project is expected to last four years and is funded by the USGS Earth MRI, through investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The initiative will capitalize on both the technology developed by NASA for spectroscopic imaging, as well as the expertise in analyzing the datasets and extracting critical mineral information from them.
To learn more about GEMx visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/gemx/
News Media Contacts
Andrew Wang / Andrew Good
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-379-6874 / 818-393-2433
andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
Written by Sally Younger
2025-136
Share Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2025 Related Terms Explore More 2 min read Invention Challenge Brings Student Engineers to NASA JPL Article 4 days ago 3 min read Senyar Swamps SumatraA rare tropical cyclone dropped torrential rains on the Indonesian island, fueling extensive and destructive…
Article 5 days ago 4 min read Hayli Gubbi’s Explosive First ImpressionIn its first documented eruption, the Ethiopian volcano sent a plume of gas and ash…
Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Earth Science MissionsIn order to study the Earth as a whole system and understand how it is changing, NASA develops and supports…
GEMx
Earth’s MoonThe Moon makes Earth more livable, sets the rhythm of ocean tides, and keeps a record of our solar system’s…
Climate ChangeNASA is a global leader in studying Earth’s changing climate.
What Do Super Jupiters Look Like?
Super-Jupiters have masses a dozen times that of Jupiter, but they are often illustrated as having a very Jupiter-like appearance. A new study finds that the classic banded-cloud look of Jupiter is very different from the look of the largest worlds.
The surprising longevity lessons from the world’s oldest animal
The surprising longevity lessons from the world’s oldest animal
Pompeii building site reveals how the Romans made concrete
Pompeii building site reveals how the Romans made concrete
Galaxies Spin on Vast Filament Like a Teacup Ride
Astronomers have discovered one of the largest structures in the universe — and the galaxies within it — spinning like a fairground teacup ride.
The post Galaxies Spin on Vast Filament Like a Teacup Ride appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
OpenAI’s Secrets are Revealed in Empire of AI
On our 2025 Best Nonfiction of the Year list, Karen Hao’s investigation of artificial intelligence reveals how the AI future is still in our hands
How Louisiana Native Turned Childhood Wonder into NASA Stennis Career
Michelle Hoehn vividly remembers the day a seed was planted for her future at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
As a seventh grader, the Bogalusa, Louisiana, native joined her dad for Father/Daughter Day at NASA Stennis. Hoehn knew she wanted to be part of something bigger, something that sparked wonder and purpose, in the moment she visited her dad’s office. She recalled feeling a sense of awe and possibility that day.
It was not until her second year at Southeastern Louisiana University – after the birth of her first child – that she focused on building a career, though. Finance and accounting have always been a part of her life. She filed paperwork at her grandfather’s store and helped her mom during tax season.
“It was clear that this field was the right fit for me,” she said.
Today, Hoehn works as a cost accountant in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at NASA Stennis. She ensures all costs are accurately recorded and reported. Her work supports financial integrity, enabling informed decisions and efficient use of resources.
“It is incredibly rewarding to know that my work helps keep NASA’s operations transparent and efficient because every accurate number supports the bigger mission of space exploration and discovery,” said Hoehn.
Hoehn’s financial management work supports NASA’s Artemis program that will send astronauts to the Moon to establish a sustainable presence and prepare for future human exploration of Mars.
“I’m honored to be a part of NASA’s Artemis effort,” she said. “Knowing that my work helps enable the next chapter of lunar exploration, and ultimately the journey to Mars, is both humbling and deeply motivating.”
One of the most fascinating parts of Hoehn’s work at NASA Stennis is seeing how even the smallest financial details can have a ripple effect on major NASA missions.
Although her work is often behind the scenes, the data she manages helps guide decisions that impact propulsion testing, technology development, and even future space exploration.
“It is incredible to realize that a spreadsheet I work on today could be tied to a rocket engine test of the future,” she said. “That connection between everyday tasks and extraordinary outcomes is something I never take for granted, and it is what makes working at NASA Stennis so rewarding.”
Working as an accountant on large, complex projects – some worth millions of dollars – also comes with challenges.
The projects demand precision, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of evolving financial regulations and systems. To stay ahead, Hoehn keeps an open mind and embraces continuous learning. She is always looking for ways to grow, adapt, and strengthen her role in supporting NASA’s financial integrity and broader mission.
This year marks 15 years as a NASA employee for Hoehn and 21 years of service overall at NASA Stennis, where she began as a contractor in 2004.
“The workforce at NASA Stennis is highly collaborative and mission-driven,” Hoehn said. “Whether you are working in engineering, finance, or support services, there is a collective sense of purpose and pride in contributing to space exploration and scientific discovery. It is an environment where ideas are welcomed, excellence is encouraged, and every individual plays a vital role in the success of NASA’s mission.”
From the time Hoehn walked in her dad’s office as a seventh-grade student, she has experienced firsthand the opportunities NASA Stennis offers.
“NASA Stennis is a place of unlimited potential, not only in its contributions to NASA’s missions, but in the opportunities it offers to current and future employees, customers, and stakeholders,” Hoehn said. “It is where I have been empowered to exceed the goals I once set for myself and continue to grow, both personally and professionally. NASA Stennis is a place where you are encouraged to be part of something greater than yourself.”
Learn More About Careers at NASA Stennis Explore More 2 min read NASA Makes Webby 30s List of Most Iconic, Influential on Internet Article 3 months ago 5 min read Crossroads to the Future – NASA Stennis Grows into a Model Federal City Article 3 months ago 4 min read NASA Stennis Provides Ideal Location for Range of Site Tenants Article 3 months agoHow Louisiana Native Turned Childhood Wonder into NASA Stennis Career
Michelle Hoehn vividly remembers the day a seed was planted for her future at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
As a seventh grader, the Bogalusa, Louisiana, native joined her dad for Father/Daughter Day at NASA Stennis. Hoehn knew she wanted to be part of something bigger, something that sparked wonder and purpose, in the moment she visited her dad’s office. She recalled feeling a sense of awe and possibility that day.
It was not until her second year at Southeastern Louisiana University – after the birth of her first child – that she focused on building a career, though. Finance and accounting have always been a part of her life. She filed paperwork at her grandfather’s store and helped her mom during tax season.
“It was clear that this field was the right fit for me,” she said.
Today, Hoehn works as a cost accountant in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at NASA Stennis. She ensures all costs are accurately recorded and reported. Her work supports financial integrity, enabling informed decisions and efficient use of resources.
“It is incredibly rewarding to know that my work helps keep NASA’s operations transparent and efficient because every accurate number supports the bigger mission of space exploration and discovery,” said Hoehn.
Hoehn’s financial management work supports NASA’s Artemis program that will send astronauts to the Moon to establish a sustainable presence and prepare for future human exploration of Mars.
“I’m honored to be a part of NASA’s Artemis effort,” she said. “Knowing that my work helps enable the next chapter of lunar exploration, and ultimately the journey to Mars, is both humbling and deeply motivating.”
One of the most fascinating parts of Hoehn’s work at NASA Stennis is seeing how even the smallest financial details can have a ripple effect on major NASA missions.
Although her work is often behind the scenes, the data she manages helps guide decisions that impact propulsion testing, technology development, and even future space exploration.
“It is incredible to realize that a spreadsheet I work on today could be tied to a rocket engine test of the future,” she said. “That connection between everyday tasks and extraordinary outcomes is something I never take for granted, and it is what makes working at NASA Stennis so rewarding.”
Working as an accountant on large, complex projects – some worth millions of dollars – also comes with challenges.
The projects demand precision, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of evolving financial regulations and systems. To stay ahead, Hoehn keeps an open mind and embraces continuous learning. She is always looking for ways to grow, adapt, and strengthen her role in supporting NASA’s financial integrity and broader mission.
This year marks 15 years as a NASA employee for Hoehn and 21 years of service overall at NASA Stennis, where she began as a contractor in 2004.
“The workforce at NASA Stennis is highly collaborative and mission-driven,” Hoehn said. “Whether you are working in engineering, finance, or support services, there is a collective sense of purpose and pride in contributing to space exploration and scientific discovery. It is an environment where ideas are welcomed, excellence is encouraged, and every individual plays a vital role in the success of NASA’s mission.”
From the time Hoehn walked in her dad’s office as a seventh-grade student, she has experienced firsthand the opportunities NASA Stennis offers.
“NASA Stennis is a place of unlimited potential, not only in its contributions to NASA’s missions, but in the opportunities it offers to current and future employees, customers, and stakeholders,” Hoehn said. “It is where I have been empowered to exceed the goals I once set for myself and continue to grow, both personally and professionally. NASA Stennis is a place where you are encouraged to be part of something greater than yourself.”
Learn More About Careers at NASA Stennis Explore More 2 min read NASA Makes Webby 30s List of Most Iconic, Influential on Internet Article 3 months ago 5 min read Crossroads to the Future – NASA Stennis Grows into a Model Federal City Article 3 months ago 4 min read NASA Stennis Provides Ideal Location for Range of Site Tenants Article 3 months agoBlack Hole Caught Blasting Matter into Space at 130 Million MPH
X-ray space telescopes caught a supermassive blackhole flinging matter into space at a fifth of the speed of light