Navigating the Future Through Mining
Gold has always been admired for its shine, but the real value today sits in what it can do. From smartphones to vehicle dashboards and GPS systems, this precious metal can be found in nearly every corner of modern life. Gold ensures GPS systems work the way we expect them to: fast, accurate, and dependable. If you’re rerouting around a traffic jam or checking coordinates on a remote hiking trail, that signal depends on precision and reliability.
Gold’s resistance to corrosion and electrical conductivity make it an ideal material for the satellite tech and circuit boards used in navigation tools and technology. An individual smartphone or GPS system only uses a small amount of gold, but the demand adds up as devices multiply.
Gold mining in Alaska, including Northern Star Pogo Mine, supports this invisible infrastructure. Every ounce has a job to do, and a growing number of those jobs live in the tools and technology people use every day. For Alaska, this demand means jobs, investment, and now, a chance to fuel the future.
Case Study: Gold in GPS Systems
A GPS unit has three core parts:
An antenna, which receives satellite signals
A receiver-processor unit, which converts the signal to navigational information
A control and display unit, which displays the information to the user
Gold can be found in GPS antennas but its primary application is in the circuit boards that receive and process the GPS signals. Reliability and durability in weather conditions are critical, making gold an ideal choice for GPS circuit board components.
Did you know? Gold plating is used in satellites due to its corrosion resistance and ability to reflect infrared radiation.
Gold’s Properties:
High electrical conductivity - Gold is an excellent conductor of electricity, helping efficiently transfer electrical signals between circuit board components.
Corrosion resistance - Gold is resistant to oxidation, which can disrupt electrical signals.
High solderability - Gold easily forms strong bonds with solder, allowing for reliable connections between circuit board components.
Gold in Circuit Boards:
Gold plating on edge connectors protects them from corrosion, enabling a long-lasting connection between circuit boards.
Gold is an ideal material for the delicate wire bonds that connect circuit board components together.
Gold plating is applied to spring finger contacts (small, spring-loaded contacts found on circuit board components) to connect them to the circuit board.
Gold can be applied as a thin film to shield delicate circuit board components from electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Small Parts, Big Impact
Although the amount of gold used in one GPS system is small enough to go unnoticed, the vast uses of this precious metal make it critical to building the technology of the future. Without gold in circuit boards and satellite-based tools that keep people connected, modern life doesn’t function.
Gold mining in Alaska helps meet the demand as technology continues to evolve. The state’s resources support global tech infrastructure and local economies. With every circuit powered and every route recalculated, gold mines like Northern Star Pogo Mine continue to provide the resources to shape what comes next. Reliably, responsibly, and one signal at a time.
