NASA and USDA sign agreement advancing Earth science and agriculture

NASA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding expanding cooperation in Earth observation, geospatial analytics and advanced data technologies. NASA said the agreement supports USDA’s data modernization plan for United States agriculture. The agency announced the signing Monday 26 October 2026.

NASA Administrator Jared 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.

Isaacman said NASA’s sensing, computing and analytical capabilities should be used where they can deliver meaningful outcomes for the American people. He said combining NASA’s Earth observation data and technical expertise with USDA’s knowledge of American agriculture could improve information for farmers and ranchers. The cooperation could strengthen understanding of crop conditions and natural hazards and support new high-risk, high-reward ideas that advance both science and American competitiveness.

Rollins said USDA would work with NASA to use technology, research and development to fortify U.S. agriculture. She said the partnership would enhance USDA acreage and yield estimation and drive profitability for American agriculture.

Under the agreement, the agencies can explore agricultural statistics, remote sensing science, modeling, geospatial data engineering and super intelligence. NASA and USDA also will examine how to align Earth observation data and analytical tools with agricultural needs. The work could help 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. They also plan to strengthen USDA’s data systems and provide farmers, ranchers and policymakers with more timely and reliable information. NASA said the agreement builds on a longstanding partnership that supported collaborative research and data-sharing efforts for U.S. agriculture.