US Senators Recognize the Value of NASA Agriculture Consortia during Congressional Confirmation Hearing
At a recent Congressional hearing, members of the U.S. Senate acknowledged the role that NASA Harvest and our sister consortium, NASA Acres, play in the domestic and international food system.
“I don’t think many people understand that NASA’s Earth satellite data is hugely valuable for farmers. Programs like NASA Acres and NASA Harvest use satellite imaging to forecast production and monitor crop yields,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
During the Senate confirmation hearing for NASA’s current Administrator, Jared Isaacman, Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) discussed the role that NASA plays not just in space, but with farmers here on Earth.
Sen. Moran shared a letter written by Kansas farmer Dwane Roth to showcase how American farmers are finding value in NASA science. “He indicates to me that NASA’s Earth science investments … now directly support U.S. farmers in ways that were unimaginable even a decade ago. Tools based on NASA’s data and science – like OpenET, NISAR, the Rangeland Analysis Platform – provide real-time field level insight into soil moisture, biomass, drought stress, water use, yield stability. These aren’t future technologies, he says, they are already built, functional and being used in states like mine.”
NASA’s Earth Science Division has been studying the surface of the planet, including farmland, for over 60 years. Using data from more than two dozen satellite constellations, private-public partnerships, and on-the-ground relationships with farmers, NASA has helped usher in state-of-the-art capabilities in agricultural monitoring, crop health detection, and yield forecasting.
These developments are helping secure the global food supply, stabilize markets, and react swiftly to natural disasters. NASA Harvest and NASA Acres are proud to continue these efforts and are happy to see our collaborative work acknowledged by U.S. Senators and farmers in this confirmation hearing.
As Sen. Moran noted, “A Kansas farmer found value in NASA. It’s something we don’t always talk about and think about when we think about space.” NASA Harvest is helping make these connections more visible and actionable by translating Earth observations into practical insights.