Metallium Appoints Former DoD Official Travis Langster to Guide U.S. Critical Metals Strategy

Metallium Ltd., a Houston-based innovator in critical mineral recovery, has named Travis Langster, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International & Industry Equipment, to the advisory board of its U.S. subsidiary, Flash Metals USA. The appointment signals Metallium’s intent to deepen its role in reshoring strategic materials for aerospace, defense, and semiconductor supply chains.

Defense Expertise Meets Materials Innovation

Langster brings decades of experience in defense industrial policy, space and missile defense, and international armaments cooperation. Most recently, he led the Department of Defense’s inaugural Commercial Space Integration Strategy, embedding private-sector capabilities into national security planning. His appointment follows that of Greg Bowman, further strengthening Flash Metals USA’s advisory board with high-level defense and policy expertise.

Langster described Metallium’s platform as “transformative and scalable,” noting its potential to modernize the U.S. industrial base and reinforce global supply chain resilience.

Flash Joule Heating: A New Frontier in Metals Recovery

Flash Metals USA is commercializing Metallium’s patented Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology, licensed from Rice University. The process enables low-emission, modular recovery of strategic metals, including rare earth elements, gallium, germanium, antimony, and indium, from refinery scrap, e-waste, and mineral concentrates.

The company is developing its first commercial plant near Houston, with additional permitted sites in Massachusetts and Virginia. The technology also targets chloride intermediates for REE magnet and semiconductor markets, positioning Flash Metals USA as a key player in domestic materials sourcing.

Strategic Metals for Strategic Missions

Langster’s appointment comes amid heightened urgency to secure domestic sources of critical minerals essential to aerospace and defense systems. From gallium in radar and satellite components to germanium in infrared optics, these materials underpin next-gen platforms across air, space, and cyber domains.

For aerospace stakeholders in Colorado Springs and beyond, Metallium’s approach offers a compelling alternative to overseas supply chains. Its modular, low-carbon recovery process aligns with both environmental goals and national security imperatives.

As the U.S. government continues to invest in industrial base modernization, partnerships like this, where policy expertise meets technical innovation, will be central to reshaping how strategic materials are sourced, refined, and deployed.