(AGENPARL) – mer 21 giugno 2023 June 21, 2023 
RELEASE 23-071
*NASA, Department of Agriculture Advance Exploration, Science*
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack, left, and NASA Administrator
Bill Nelson, pose for a photograph after having signed a memorandum of
understanding, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at the USDA’s Jamie L. Whitten
Building in Washington.
*/Credits: NASA/*
NASA and the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) signed a memorandum of
understanding Wednesday strengthening the collaboration between the two
agencies, including efforts to improve agricultural and Earth science
research, technology, agricultural management, and the application of science
data and models to agricultural decision making.
The agreement affirms the two agencies’ interest in continuing their
longstanding partnership on mutually beneficial collaborative activities
furthering education, communication, and outreach activities to inspire the
youth in America to pursue careers in STEM and agriculture. This partnership
will build on NASA’s Bridge Program [1] to foster workforce development
partnerships with higher-education partners including Tribal and Minority
Serving Institutions and the USDA’s newly launched NextGen program [2],
which invests $262.5 million to cultivate the next generation of diverse food
and agriculture professionals.
“From the heavens to the Heartland, NASA and the Department of Agriculture
are reaffirming our commitment to getting essential data in the hands of
America’s farmers and preparing future generations to lead and strengthen
America’s agriculture industry,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“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 famers develop more sustainable
farming and aquaculture practices.”
The agencies intend to explore opportunities to improve crop performance to
meet Earth and space-based goals, including activities in support of NASA’s
Artemis program, which includes landing the first woman and the first person
of color on the Moon, and establishing long-term lunar exploration for
preparation of human exploration of Mars.
"From ensuring that future generations are able to reach new heights as they
pursue careers in STEM and agriculture, to providing producers with critical
data and improving global agricultural practices, USDA is honored to
strengthen our partnership with NASA,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack. “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.”
Space exploration cooperation with the USDA includes plant-related research
on the International Space Station and other space and ground platforms that
have led to new ways to improve American and global agriculture, protect the
environment, and help improve human health.
This memorandum of understanding will build on the partnership between USDA
and NASA starting in 2015. Examples of recent and ongoing efforts include:
* USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and NASA, along
with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, an 1890
land grant university, partnered to send 16 young people to NASA Space
Camp in 2022. Held at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville,
Alabama, these week-long camps [3] give youth the chance to learn
robotics, teamwork, leadership and critical thinking skills and experience
real-world STEM applications.  
* USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and NASA created a
free online tool called Crop-CASMA to help farmers and researchers use
soil data to track droughts and floods, plan crop planting, and forecast
ag yields. USDA incorporates the data into NASS’s weekly crop progress
reports to inform farmers and farm managers operational decisions and
strategic plans.
* USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and NASA scientists are
developing a hyperspectral imaging system to monitor plant health for
astronauts to use in plant growth chambers for their pick-and-eat crops
– such as fresh salad greens – to eat during future space missions.
ARS and NASA are also teaming up to discover other ways to grow
sustainable, fresh food during space travel, such as plants that have the
potential to continually flower and produce.
Learn more about NASA Earth Science initiatives and impact at:
*https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/* [4]
-end-
*Press Contacts*
Jackie McGuinness / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
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[4] https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/