NASA and USDA sign agreement to modernize agricultural data

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed a Memorandum of Understanding on October 24, 2026, to integrate Earth observation satellite data into agricultural statistics.

The agreement focuses on three primary areas: aligning NASA data products with USDA requirements, improving access to data infrastructure, and conducting technical reviews of analytical methods. The collaboration aims to enhance the estimation of planted and harvested areas, assess crop conditions, model yields, and measure the impacts of natural disasters.

Technical exchanges will connect agricultural statistical needs with Earth science missions, while infrastructure discussions will address cloud-compatible formats, archives, and processing workflows. The partnership intends to modernize data-sharing efforts to better support farmers through improved field modeling and acreage estimation.