The United States Space Force announced that an agreement committing it and NASA to “broad collaboration” had been signed by both the organizations’ chiefs at a virtual Mitchell Institute event on Tuesday.

These areas of broad collaboration, as mentioned in Tuesday morning’s USSF press release, include: “human spaceflight, U.S. space policy, space transportation, standards and best practices for safe operations in space, scientific research, and planetary defense.”

This extraordinary agreement between the two premiere U.S. aerospace organizations replaces another one signed 14 years ago by NASA and the U.S. Air Force Space Command. Under this previous accord, the two organizations committed themselves to sharing research and development information with each other, reducing the duplication of system development, and cooperating in the long-term planning of their respective game plans for space.

This new collaboration, according to the press release, will advance NASA’s plans “for unprecedented lunar exploration under the Artemis program” while also “building on a longstanding partnership with the Department of Defense” that it has had since the late 1950s.

“NASA and the military share a long history dating back to the late 1950s; there is power in our partnership,” USSF Chief of Space Operations Gen. John “Jay” Raymond said. “A secure, stable, and accessible space domain underpins our nation’s security, prosperity and scientific achievement. Space Force looks forward to future collaboration, as NASA pushes farther into the universe for the benefit of all.”

“NASA’s partnerships are vital to ensuring America continues to lead the world in the peaceful uses of outer space,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said. “This agreement with the U.S. Space Force reaffirms and continues our rich legacy of collaboration with the Defense Department and provides a critical foundation to investigate areas of mutual interest for our distinct civil and defense roles in space.”

Additionally, this new agreement follows the creation of the USSF back in December 2019 and further defines the role that this new branch of the military will play in aerospace policy and endeavors.

Two of the key plans of the Artemis program are, before 2024, to place the first woman and the next man on the Moon while also setting up a sustainable presence there before 2030. All of this is part of the agency’s plan to use the Moon as a stepping stone to its ultimate goal: a manned mission to Mars.

You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.