NASA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have signed a Memorandum of Understanding expanding cooperation in Earth observation, geospatial analytics and advanced data technologies, in support of USDA's data modernization plan for U.S. agriculture. NASA announced the agreement on Oct. 26.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed the agreement on Oct. 24 during NASA's Inspiration Tour at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. According to NASA, the agencies may explore work in agricultural statistics, remote sensing science, modeling, geospatial data engineering and super intelligence. They will also examine ways to better align Earth observation data and analytical tools with agricultural needs, including crop monitoring, acreage and yield estimates, and assessments of drought and other disasters.

The agreement builds on a longstanding partnership between the two agencies. NASA said the new arrangement focuses on improved data integration and coordination, and on approaches for managing and analyzing large datasets, with the aim of giving farmers, ranchers and policymakers more timely and reliable information.