NASA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding expanding cooperation in Earth observation, geospatial analytics, and advanced data technologies, supporting USDA’s data modernization plan for United States agriculture.

“NASA develops some of the most advanced sensing, computing, and analytical capabilities in the world, and we should put those tools to work wherever they can deliver meaningful outcomes for the American people,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “By combining NASA’s Earth observation data and technical expertise with USDA’s knowledge of American agriculture, we can improve the information available to farmers and ranchers, strengthen our understanding of crop conditions and natural hazards, and pursue new high-risk, high-reward ideas that advance both science and American competitiveness.”

Isaacman and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins signed the agreement Oct. 24 during NASA’s Inspiration Tour at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

NASA and USDA’s longstanding partnership has supported collaborative research and data-sharing efforts that strengthen U.S. agriculture. The new agreement deepens this cooperation by focusing on improved data integration and enhanced coordination across Earth observation and agricultural applications.

“American farmers are the best in the world and deserve any solution we can leverage, even when it is out of this world. I am proud to announce that USDA will now work with Administrator Isaacman and NASA to utilize the full power of technology, research, and development to fortify U.S. agriculture,” said Rollins. “With this unprecedented partnership the Trump Administration is committing to a bright future of research and tech opportunities that will enhance USDA acreage and yield estimation and drive profitability for American agriculture.”

Under the new agreement, the agencies can explore activities in agricultural statistics, remote sensing science, modeling, geospatial data engineering, and super intelligence. NASA and USDA also will look at how to better align Earth observation data and analytical tools with agricultural needs, helping improve crop monitoring, acreage and yield estimates, and assessments of drought and other disasters.

The agencies will examine new approaches for managing and analyzing large datasets, strengthening USDA’s data systems while providing farmers, ranchers, and policymakers with more timely and reliable information.

For more information about NASA’s Earth science, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/earth

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Camille Gallo / Elizabeth Shaw  
Headquarters, Washington  
202-358-1600  
camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov

In accordance with a contract on-ramp clause, NASA has added Blue Origin’s New Glenn 9×4 launch service to the NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract. The New Glenn 9×4 launch service will be available to NASA’s Launch Services Program Office to use for future missions.

The NLS II contracts are multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with an ordering period through June 2030, and an overall period of performance through December 2032. The NLS II contracts include an on-ramp provision that provides an opportunity annually for new launch service providers to compete for future missions and allows existing contractors to introduce launch vehicles not currently on their NLS II contracts.

The NLS II contracts support the goals and objectives of the agency’s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, Science Mission Directorate, and the Research and Technology Mission Directorate. Under the contract, NASA also can provide launch services to other government agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NASA’s Launch Services Program Office at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida manages the NLS II contracts. For more information about NASA visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

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Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Leejay Lockhart
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov

Marking a significant expansion in the number of signatories to the Artemis Accords, NASA welcomed Albania, Croatia, Côte d’Ivoire, and San Marino, bringing total participation to 76 countries. 

“Our momentum reflects a growing commitment to peaceful, responsible exploration and a shared understanding that the future in space will be shaped by those willing to lead,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Nearly one-third of all signatories have joined since the start of President Trump’s second term. As the President directs NASA to return Americans to the lunar surface and lay the groundwork for Mars, we are strengthening a coalition of partners who share our values and are ready to help shape the future of exploration.”

The recent surge in growth reflects one of the most rapid expansions of international cooperation in civil space history. Nearly 40% of the world’s nations are now collaborating with NASA to build a transparent, peaceful, responsible, and safe approach to space exploration. Nearly two-thirds of countries that signed the foundational 1967 Outer Space Treaty also have signed the Artemis Accords.  

What began as an informal coalition of a small group of countries has developed into a large, structured community guided by the Signatories Group Method of Operations, adopted in 2024. Under this framework, the group meets twice annually, once at a technical workshop and once at a Principals’ Meeting during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC). Virtual sessions are added throughout the year to support implementation. 

As a result, participating countries have advanced agreed-upon recommendations on noninterference, interoperability, scientific data sharing, and registration practices. 

Two major workshops this year further strengthened technical alignment. Signatories reviewed their planned lunar landings and orbital missions and took part in hands‑on sessions focused on open science and practical tools for sharing lunar data. Experts from dozens of countries worked through real-world examples of how to make mission information easier to find, use, and share, from releasing lunar science data to adopting common standards that reduce interference between missions.  

This year’s Artemis Accords Principals’ Meeting at IAC in Antalya, Türkiye, beginning Monday, Oct. 5, will be co-chaired by NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson and Major General Roberto Melgar Sheen, director of the Peruvian Space Agency (CONIDA). The meeting will examine ways to support emerging space nations and disseminate lunar debris‑mitigation recommendations. 

NASA continues to put the principles of the Artemis Accords into practice. With the creation of the Moon Base, NASA has invited every Artemis Accords signatory to participate in our return to the Moon through scientific payloads, technology demonstrations, CubeSats, and other capabilities. 

The United States, led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, and seven other nations launched the Artemis Accords in 2020 to guide growing global interest in lunar activity. The accords established the first set of practical principles to enhance safety and coordination as nations explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Signatories commit to: 

• Explore peaceably and transparently 
• Render aid to those in need 
• Enable access to scientific data 
• Ensure activities do not interfere with others 
• Preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices 

More nations are expected to join the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead as NASA continues working with partners worldwide to secure a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. 

Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: 

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords

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Camille Gallo / Elizabeth Shaw  
Headquarters, Washington  
202-358-1600  
camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov