Rio Tinto Group teamed up with space technology startup Pixxel Space Technologies Inc. to evaluate the use of the latter's high-resolution satellite imagery in mining, Pixxel said in a Jan. 13 statement.

In early 2022, Pixxel plans to launch a hyperspectral satellite that is said to be capable of capturing images with 50 times more detail than existing multispectral satellite imagery.

Rio Tinto will assess the use of hyperspectral satellite imagery in reducing disturbance from exploration activities, tracking operational and environmental performance of mining operations, and monitoring biodiversity and vegetation health around closed sites, according to Pixxel.

"Rio Tinto is participating in Pixxel's early adopter program because we believe that exploration could benefit from more cost-effective and easier access to hyperspectral satellite data," Rio Tinto's head of exploration, Dave Andrews, said.

Based in California and India, Pixxel has worked with several organizations, such as the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Indian Space Research Organization and the U.S. Air Force.