NASA Blocks Lithium Mining in Nevada's Railroad Valley Critical for Satellite Calibration

NEVADA – Federal authorities have halted lithium mining in Railroad Valley, Nevada, which is a dry lakebed.

This location is crucial for NASA’s satellite calibration, which is used to predict weather and study climate change.

NASA has been using Railroad Valley since 1993 to accurately measure the time it takes for satellite signals to travel to Earth and back.

The valley is large, flat, barren, uniform in color, generally free of clouds, and has remained unchanged over the past three decades, making it the best site in the U.S. for satellite calibration.

According to a NASA spokesperson, any activity that would disrupt the surface integrity of Railroad Valley would jeopardize its use.

The Bureau of Land Management has declared 36 square miles of the roughly 90-square-mile lakebed off-limits for exploration and mining at NASA’s request. Nevada-based mining company 3 Proton Lithium, which has claims running through the middle of Railroad Valley, said it will no longer be able to access highly valuable deposits of lithium brine buried beneath the lakebed.

The company expressed disappointment that NASA has opposed lithium mining in Railroad Valley, as the mineral is critical for developing electric vehicle batteries and reducing the use of fossil fuels.

Credits: E360 Yale