NOAA awards $6.4M in radio occultation contracts to Spire and PlanetiQ for weather data

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded contracts to Spire Global and PlanetiQ to supply radio occultation data for terrestrial and space weather forecasting, the agency announced Aug. 13.

Under the agreements, NOAA's Commercial Data Program will pay Spire $3.7 million to deliver 4,600 daily global navigation satellite system (GNSS) profiles and 1,200 temporal resolution enhancements. Temporal resolution enhancements reveal how atmospheric conditions change throughout the day, providing a more dynamic picture of weather systems.

PlanetiQ secured a $2.7 million contract to provide 4,200 GNSS profiles and 500 total electron content tracks per day. Total electron content data feeds into space weather forecasts, helping predict conditions that can disrupt satellites and communications.

Both companies will supply the radio occultation data from Sept. 18 through Dec. 1, 2026.

The awards come ahead of a larger procurement effort. NOAA issued a request for proposals in May for commercial space-based environmental monitoring data. The agency plans to establish an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle later this year with a ceiling of $2.35 billion over 10 years.

Through the IDIQ, NOAA will "pilot, operationalize, and expand the use of commercial data," according to the agency's announcement. "NOAA's use of commercial data lowers costs and drives innovation, thereby improving weather forecasting and modeling, space weather prediction, and decision support services across its mission areas."

The move reflects NOAA's growing reliance on private-sector data providers to supplement its own satellite infrastructure. Radio occultation, which measures how GPS signals bend as they pass through the atmosphere, is valued for its ability to improve weather model accuracy, particularly in regions with sparse ground-based observations.

Separately, PlanetiQ announced Aug. 12 that it completed testing of its next-generation GNOMES satellites in preparation for launch later this year. The company said the milestone represents a step toward expanding its constellation and meeting its contractual obligations to NOAA and other customers. Spire, which operates a fleet of small satellites, has also been expanding its weather data offerings in recent years.

The contracts are among several NOAA has awarded to commercial data providers as part of its push to integrate private observations into operational forecasting systems. The agency has previously signed agreements with other firms for GNSS radio occultation and ocean surface wind data.