Did you know that we couldn’t go to space without gold: Here’s why

Without gold, space exploration as it exists today would be impossible due to gold’s crucial role in various aerospace applications. 

Gold reflects infrared radiation, which is essential for managing extreme temperatures in space.

It is used in thin layers on the exterior of satellites and probes to reflect sunlight, preventing overheating.

Astronauts’ helmet visors are coated with gold to reflect harmful infrared and UV rays while allowing visible light to pass through.

Gold in Spacecraft and Satellites

One of the first and most significant uses of gold in space was in the coating of spacecraft and satellites. Gold was applied in thin layers to the exterior of satellites and space probes to help regulate temperature and protect sensitive components.

The reflective properties of gold helped reflect sunlight, preventing overheating of critical electronics.

This was particularly vital for probes and satellites that were venturing far from Earth, where they could not rely on atmospheric protection.

NASA’s Mariner missions in the 1960s and 1970s, which were tasked with exploring Mars, Venus, and Mercury, featured spacecraft coated with a thin layer of gold. The gold coating helped keep the instruments at a stable temperature, protecting them from the extreme heat fluctuations in space.

Telescopes

NASA used gold to coat the large hexagonal mirrors of the famous James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the most advanced telescope ever built.

They did so because gold is great at reflecting infrared light, which is the wavelength range that JWST was designed to observe.

Gold reflects up to 98% of infrared radiation, far outperforming most other metals. Reflecting IR light is crucial for detecting faint heat signals from distant galaxies.

The golden mirrors on the JWST are a striking feature, but they actually contain much less gold than you’d think.

The mirrors are primarily made of a lightweight metal called beryllium. The gold is applied as an extremely thin layer using a process called vacuum vapor deposition.

A small amount of gold is vaporized and injected into a vacuum chamber where gold atoms are deposited onto the smooth surfaces of the mirrors. Coating the entire JWST mirror structure (which is huge, by the way) required less than 2 ounces of gold!

Satellite Coatings

Gold is used in satellites to reflect heat and radiation. You may have seen photos of the JASON-3 satellite, for example, that appears to be wrapped in gold foil.

But that shiny material doesn’t really contain any gold – it’s called multi-layer insulation (MLI). MLI is made primarily of plastic and aluminum, and it shields spacecraft from extreme temperatures.

Recycling Precious Metals

Recycled gold makes up a significant portion of our limited global supply. The World Gold Council reported that 1,370.0 tons of gold were recycled in 2024.

Precious metal recycling is and will continue to be a crucial part of establishing more sustainable supply chains and decreasing the demand for environmentally-harmful mining operations. Recycled gold comes from scrap material like old jewelry, dental extractions and more.

At Garfield Refining, we purchase gold scrap and refine it. The metal then re-enters the market and is used to make new products.

We’re known for providing the industry’s best service and highest payouts – so if you have gold that you’d like to refine, you’ve come to the right place!

So remember if you have some gold just laying around your house you never know. The small piece of gold could be worth more than me think.