Why international collaboration matters
International partnerships enhance NASA missions by sharing costs, expertise, and access to unique capabilities. Collaboration enables larger science returns, broader data sharing, and diplomatic cooperation.
Common drivers for partnerships:
- Cost sharing for expensive missions.
- Scientific complementarity: partners contribute instruments or subsystems.
- Access to launch sites, ground stations, or specialized facilities.
- Strengthening geopolitical and scientific ties.
How partnerships work
- Joint mission planning and agreed science goals.
- Formal agreements that define roles, responsibilities, and data policies.
- Technical integration and shared operations during mission lifetime.
International partners bring diverse strengths and help expand the scale and ambition of missions that would be difficult for a single agency to undertake alone.