What is NASA's Earth Science Division exploring?

NASA's Earth Science Division is exploring partnerships with external organizations to support instruments on the International Space Station and free-flyer missions.

Which specific NASA missions are candidates for partnership?

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) and the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) missions have been identified as candidates for potential partnerships.

What is the purpose of these NASA partnerships?

The purpose of these partnerships is to make efficient use of unique national assets developed from taxpayer investments and to continue valuable data collection from extended missions.

Home / Science / NASA Seeks Partners for Space Missions

NASA Seeks Partners for Space Missions

27 Jan

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Summary

NASA is exploring external partnerships to maintain aging space instruments.
OCO-2 and CYGNSS missions are identified for potential collaboration.
Partnerships aim to efficiently use taxpayer-funded national assets.

NASA's Earth Science Division is proactively seeking external partnerships to sustain its ongoing space-based missions. This initiative focuses on supporting instruments aboard the International Space Station and various free-flyer missions.

Director Karen St. Germain announced on January 26, 2026, that NASA is exploring collaborations for missions that have surpassed their operational life expectancies. The goal is to find partners willing to share the responsibility of maintaining these valuable assets.

Two specific missions highlighted are the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), launched in 2014 to monitor carbon dioxide, and the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), a constellation of seven microsatellites launched in 2016 that measures hurricane intensity and soil moisture.