July 20th marks the 49th anniversary of man’s first visit to the moon.

Minerals produced in Nevada have been key to making space exploration possible, from the water astronauts drink, to the shuttles themselves. Here are 4 ways Nevada mining makes space exploration possible.

Gold keeps everything golden during spacewalks

From head to toe, spacesuits protect astronauts from the unique set of dangers they face during spacewalks. Helmets need to be designed to not interrupt visibility, while still protecting the astronaut from harmful sun rays. Due to gold’s ability to deflect radiation, a thin layer of it is added to helmet visors.

Mineral water is huge

One of the biggest challenges in space travel is how to provide astronauts with safe drinking water. Ionized silver provides a cheap and efficient way to kill off any bacteria that may reside within a ship’s water storage system.

Copper can stand the heat

Copper has long been used in space shuttles because of its resistance to heat. Technological advancements may make the metal even more valuable to space programs. In 2015, NASA created a copper based, 3-D printed rocket engine part in just under 11 days, substantially reducing the time and money the part had previously taken to build.

Silica always keeps its cool

The insulation used in a space shuttle needs to be able to hold under extreme temperatures. Silica based aerogel is nearly 40 times stronger than fiberglass, while being comprised of 99.8% air, minimizing the weight added to a shuttle.