PlanetiQ Commences Daily Deliveries of High-Quality GNSS-RO Data to NOAA

PlanetiQ Commences Daily Deliveries of High-Quality GNSS-RO Data to NOAA
by Brad Bartz
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 26, 2023

Weather forecasting and climate research stand on the threshold of a new era as PlanetiQ, a forerunner in global atmospheric observation systems, kicks off daily deliveries of its top-grade Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) GNSS-Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) data to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In a forward-looking move, NOAA has committed $59.6 million over the next five years for utilizing commercial satellite data to bolster the accuracy and reliability of weather predictions and atmospheric research.

According to Ira Scharf, CEO of PlanetiQ, integrating their high-end GNSS-RO data into NOAA's resources, in combination with the company's deep familiarity with RO technology, will afford NOAA a significant edge in refining short and medium-term weather forecasts. Additionally, it will furnish the government, military, and the private sector with crucial data to enhance research into climate change.

Drawing from its ever-expanding fleet of satellites, PlanetiQ is the sole system currently able to profile the atmosphere's thermodynamic state with high vertical resolution, precision, and accuracy across all weather conditions. The provision of this data ensures uninterrupted monitoring of both the atmosphere and the ionosphere from pole to pole. A significant capability offered by this system is the unique potential to profile water vapor down to the surface - a primary contributor to severe weather phenomena and flooding, with 80% found within 1km of the surface.

Dr. Rob Kursinski, Co-founder and Chief Scientist at PlanetiQ, underlined the impressive performance of their next-gen RO sensors, named Pyxis. Despite being smaller, lighter, and more power-efficient, these sensors exhibit nearly threefold data collection prowess compared to other existing systems. They achieve this by receiving signals from all four of the world's GNSS constellations: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and Beidou.

Chris McCormick, Co-founder and President of PlanetiQ, expressed the company's excitement about supporting NOAA's global operational needs for GNSS-RO. He also mentioned PlanetiQ's plans to launch additional spacecraft within the next year and a half. This expansion is anticipated to broaden their global coverage and resolution, facilitating better support to NOAA and international partners in weather forecasting and climate research endeavors.

PlanetiQ continues to build on the foundations laid by the COSMIC and COSMIC-2 satellite data by providing the highest SNR data yet, moving toward superior quality. Furthermore, they are contributing to the detection of ducting - a phenomenon occurring in about 30% of all GNSS-ROs. This partnership underscores the significant advancements we're witnessing in atmospheric observation and forecasts and is a harbinger of further progress in our understanding of the planet's atmospheric systems.