NASA, Space Force sign an agreement to collaborate

NASA on Tuesday anunced that it's going to formally work with U.S. Force.

NASA's ministrator Jim Bridenstine and U.S. Force Chief of Operations Gen. John "Jay" Raymond discussed new memorandum of understanding in a live virtual event hosted by Mitchell Institute for Aero Studies.

"Given challenges that exist in , it is necessary to have security. And that's why it is so important for NASA to to work side by side with …with Force," Bridenstine said.

agreement commits two organizations to bro collaboration in areas including human flight, U.S. policy, transportation, standards and best practices for safe operations in , scientific research, and planetary defense, according to NASA.

Bridenstine also stressed on NASA's role as an nt of diplomacy.

"I hope people take away that NASA. Yes, we do science, exploration, discovery, we develop outer . But I really hope people take away that we are an instrument of national power. It is soft power. It is diplomatic power," he said.

ncy also plans to land first woman and next man to Moon in 2024.

"This time when we go to moon, it's t….it's t just a techlogy demonstration. We are going sustainably to moon to deliver science and exploration capabilities in a way that's never been done before," Bridenstine said.

And we're going for first time with a very diverse, highly qualified astronaut corps that includes women," he ded.

U.S. Force, pushed by President Donald Trump, represents sixth branch of U.S. military and first new military service since creation of Air Force in 1947.

It w has a squron of 20 airmen stationed at Qatar's Al-Udeid Air Base in its first foreign deployment.