To infinity and beyond

When it comes to technologies of the future, two projects spring to mind — and they both leverage gold.

MOXIE is a small, experimental box aboard the Mars Perseverance rover, which is on a mission to convert the carbon dioxide of Mars’s atmosphere into carbon monoxide and oxygen — a first step to sending people to Mars. Scientists covered MOXIE in gold to reduce heat radiation, which could affect other instruments and circuitry onboard the rover.

Meanwhile, the James Webb Space Telescope, which is expected to replace the Hubble Telescope later this year, will help astronomers see some of the most distant objects in the universe. The extraordinary telescope has 18 hexagonal mirror segments made of gold-plated beryllium.

Gold has been used extensively in space travel because it combines a number of essential properties: it’s highly reflective, has superior conductivity, and does not react with other substances, meaning that it will not tarnish.

Learn more about MOXIE on IEEE and Science Times, and take a look at the space gallery and the James Webb telescope on NASA's website.