NASA, Space Force sign an agreement to collaborate

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

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

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

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

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

"I hope people take away that NASA. Yes, we do science, exploration, discovery, we develop outer space. 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.

The Space Agency also plans to land the first woman and next man to the Moon in 2024.

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

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

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

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