USDA, NASA enhance collaboration for exploration, science.

NASA and USDA Strengthen Collaboration

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have recently signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance their collaboration. This agreement aims to improve agricultural and Earth science research, technology, agricultural management, and the application of science data and models to agricultural decision making.

Partnership for Education and Outreach

In addition to their research efforts, the USDA and NASA are committed to inspiring young Americans to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and agriculture through educational initiatives. This partnership will build on NASA’s Bridge Program, which fosters workforce development partnerships with higher-education institutions, including Tribal and Minority Serving Institutions. The USDA’s NextGen program, which invests $262.5 million to cultivate the next generation of diverse food and agriculture professionals, will also be involved in this collaborative effort.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed the importance of this partnership, stating, “As the climate continues to change, NASA’s Earth observation data will only grow more critical to our nation’s effort to create more climate-resilient food systems, helping our farmers develop more sustainable farming and aquaculture practices.”

Efforts to Improve Crop Performance and Space Exploration

The USDA and NASA intend to explore opportunities to improve crop performance and achieve Earth and space-based goals. This includes supporting NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon and establish long-term lunar exploration for future human expeditions to Mars.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack emphasized the significance of the partnership, stating, “We recognize the critical interface between planet-wide food security, climate change, and space, and together we are advancing cutting-edge innovation, research, and workforce development to tackle some of Earth’s greatest challenges.”

Previous Collaborative Efforts

The memorandum of understanding builds upon the partnership between the USDA and NASA that started in 2015. Some of the recent and ongoing collaborative efforts include:

• Sending 16 young people, in partnership with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, to NASA Space Camp in 2022. These week-long camps provide youth with the opportunity to learn robotics, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking skills, and experience real-world STEM applications.
• Creating a free online tool called Crop-CASMA, which helps farmers and researchers use soil data to track droughts and floods, plan crop planting, and forecast agricultural yields. This data is incorporated into the USDA’s weekly crop progress reports to inform farmers and farm managers’ operational decisions.
• Developing a hyperspectral imaging system in collaboration with NASA to monitor plant health for astronauts in plant growth chambers during space missions. This technology also aims to explore sustainable methods for growing fresh food during space travel.

For more information on NASA’s Earth Science initiatives and impact, visit science.nasa.gov/earth-science.

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